The Fall of the League of Legends (Being Rewritten)
by The Elusive Gin
Summary: Riot has erased the League from ever existing. I want to put forth my own story, giving the League a "proper burial". I've started to see what direction Riot wants to bring the lore in, so after 2 years (WOW) I've returned to finish this project. Rated M for Graphic Descriptions of Violence and Sex. OC's included. The picture I used belongs to kair030 at DeviantArt.
1. Chapter 1: Prelude

Hi there! Thanks for spending the time to come in and read my story! For those of you who have been following me, I've decided to draw back and strengthen my earlier chapters. Please look forward to new ones in addition to improvements to the entire series!

Enjoy!

* * *

It's really quite depressing sometimes, having to wake up to the dark skies of Noxus; even our brightest days seem pretty bleak. I wallow out of bed, and take to the streets. Women are taken and bound in broad daylight, the homeless are often slaughtered in public demonstrations. This is a cultural thing known as "weeding out the weak". Noxus sells itself as a beacon of strength to the other "soft" nations, but all I see is fear- this most horrid weakness is festering in our foundations. I don't very much like our culture. In fact, I generally choose to prescribe to a counter-culture of understanding and kindness that is seemingly nonexistent here. Yes, I know, this kind of thinking will get me silently killed by the High Command. Good thing then, that this is an internal monologue. My name is Gin; other summoners at the League know me as "The Elusive Gin". The nickname originated from the mistake on my first summoner ID issued to me. The camera messed up or something, so the resulting photo only showed my silhouette and the reflection of my glasses. My close friends at the time, Tom, Durian, and Bunny all started calling me "The Elusive Gin". The title stuck. Despite being a Noxian, though, I'm actually one of the weakest members of my group. This stopped being the case recently, however.

Just the other week, I finally got my Platinum ID from the League's Officials. It's baffling, given that my badge was bronze (for the second year, too!). In just 6 months changes in my lifestyle were immense. With rank comes power, and with power comes respect in Noxus. My salaries went up, and I was able to move to a new apartment, one closer to the diplomatic border between Noxus and Demacia. Let's call it NoxDemacia. Noxians here prefer to call this city "Noxuscia", but that name is plain weird. The general motif of the buildings here has the typical Noxian aesthetic. Earthy colors dominate the scenery, and the crude brick and wood construction is ever present. In order to supply energy to our half of the city, Zaun's smokestacks can be seen at the Easter edge of the city. There's a Gate at the center of town that acts as a Border between 4 counties on Runeterra: Demacia, Noxus, Freiljord and Shurima. Only Demacia and Noxus have bothered to build cities at this location, due to our rivalry. Compared to the slums in the Bronze and Silver Quarters that I knew, this is a good change of pace. I eat well, and sleep well. One could say I've grown quite spoiled compared to my life being a Bronze Summoner.

My status, however, is not the point of me speaking to you, reader. I am here to recount to you the days followed by the fall of the League of Legends, and what humanity did to avoid destruction. You're lucky, finding this journal of mine. If you, or anyone who leads you, seek to re-establish another such organization like the League, please read my personal record of these events. I do not want history to repeat itself. I'm sure you don't either, given the Calamity that I had so recently quelled. Oh… and do me a favor and take out the *ahem* _private parts_ of this journal, should you choose to publish this. I don't want everyone knowing about my misadventures who doesn't need to.

Anyways, just another day in Noxus for me. I made my way to the Summoner's Hall where my first assignment waited. "Noxus Vs. Demacia. the winning side gets the lands located at XXXXXX". Again, it's been the same squabble for weeks now. How much more land does Noxus need? To clarify what's going on here, the League handles all arguments between nations with a 5v5 ranked match between summoners sworn to either side. More serious disagreements get sent to higher ranks. In Bronze, all you get to decide is whether the trade levies go up or down by X%. It's quite pitiful, really, how both the League and Noxus disrespects their Bronze Summoners. Take away our summoning orbs, and we all become squishy mages. I picked my representative champion and... lost. Demacia got some land, and I shrugged my shoulders and left. Really not too important. I played some more matches, won some, lost a little bit more. Sigh, bad luck today.

Dinnertime. Most summoners headed off to the bars around town, grabbing girls off the street and dragging them off to be their playthings for the night. Again, in Noxus, only the strong have any rights- this sort of thing is commonplace. As opposed to them, my own dinner guest is a bit more… odd. I make my way to the Kitchen in the halls of justice, dressed with an apron on top of my summoner's robe. Giving my regards to the regulars in the Dining Room and the other employees in the Garbage Area, I grab the cart filled with random assortments of half-eaten food. This is a job that I volunteered for when I was still in Bronze. Unlike in Demacia or Ionia, Noxus doesn't give you enough money to live on a Bronzie's salary. Think of it like working full-time on a minimum wage job and not being able to afford an apartment. Stepping onto a teleportation platform inside the Summoner's Hall, I drag a tray with a meal to feed 2 (just for me) and all the slop and leftovers from the League's cafeteria. As I do every night, I go and have a short meal with… Cho'Gath. The holding cells of the Void champions are all held in one area. Other Summoners can be seen going to feed the other Voidborn at the same time as me, but we never really associate with each other. This is a job where everyone just wants to drop off the food and get the fuck out. Between the behavior of our prisoners and the bleakness of the gray stonework that makes up the architecture of this building, this task is nothing short of unpleasant. Why, then, does a Platinum Summoner even bother with such a task. Well, I have my ulterior motives. "Summoner, you're late", Cho'Gath snarled. He immediately begins feasting upon the tub of slop I present to him. His size growing ever so slightly larger as he continues to dig into his dinner. I'm always glad the summoners have him caged so well. The magical barrier hums as his claws grind against its invisible walls. Sitting down to eat my own meal, I pose my regular question to him.

"So… care to explain to me my Visions?"

"Ask Malzahar."

"I did. He started speaking in tongues. Not helpful."

"My answer, then, is the same as every time. You're going to die. Everyone is going to die."

"Oh, how helpful."

I should explain. Before my sudden rise to Plat, I had taken an expedition to Shurima in search of greater power. Cho'Gath is one of my better champions (he was responsible for my first victory, on my first day as a Summoner. He's close to my heart… in a way) and I wanted to learn more about the Void. So many people have "accidentally" stumbled into Itcathia; Malz, Kassadin, another Noxian summoner known only to me as "Kal", lots of people. I wanted a peek into the Void myself (maybe the insight would keep me from tunneling) and I got what I wanted... Now, I am haunted by night terrors; vague visions corrupting my dreams, whispers of a Void-driven apocalypse. They all have something to do with people dying, usually myself. Because of the content of my dreams, I always wake up anxious that these promised days would come, and I would have to relive all of those nightmares in reality. I bug my "friend", Cho, for answers, anything to help me prepare for the doomsday that seems to be waiting at my doorstep each morning. Perhaps my visions are more to blame for how I see the Noxian sky than the natural darkness of it.

"Even if I could tell you when the void will take over, you will be powerless to stop it." Cho'Gath lunges at the barrier again, it shimmers and the giant monster bounces back into his cage.

"Well, that's just your opinion, man." I chuckle as my captive audience groans. Dinner's finished (we're both fast eaters). Cho and I exchange silent goodbyes and I set to the streets again. It's past 22:00 here and I hurry back to my apartment. It's minimally furnished, and my clothes are scattered all over the floor. I barely spend any time here, so I don't bother cleaning it all up. It has a modest kitchen and a small bedroom. The "living room", if I could even call it that, came with a couch supplied by the establishment here. It's very plush and comfortable, and has a soft blanket draped over it along with some gaudy pillows designed in the style of the most recent Noxian fashion trends. Grabbing a white tuxedo, I quickly change clothes and head out the door. Patting my pockets, I make sure I haven't forgotten anything before I leave. It's past 23:30 now. I'm running a bit late for my graveyard shift tonight. Oh well, my boss is pretty lenient about when people show up. Something that is extremely rare in Noxus, but not too uncommon here in the border city. Now you know why I chose this place over living in the capital beside the Immortal Bastion. I head towards the Noxus-Demacia embassy to go do my final job of the night.

* * *

Cho'Gath, alone in his prison, watched the black-haired Summoner walk out the steel double-doors at the far end of his cell. Turning his head in odd directions, Cho seems to talk to himself, nodding in the "one-sided" conversation as if there was someone- something that was supplying him a dialogue. "Yes, he still has visions…" Cho grinds his teeth. He's tried many times to lure the summoner up to the barrier with his cart. He's either intelligent enough not to be tricked, or stupid enough not to understand what he was trying to do. The Terror of the Void has actually killed several Summoners tasked with feeding him. The leftover slop is tasty and satisfying, but nothing beats the flavor of a victim, screaming in pain as his teeth gnash and grind out blood, splitting bone and tearing sinew. This was one of the things that made life tolerable for him, but this most recent Summoner has evaded his every effort. In fact, the man's smug expressions and constant puns were driving him nuts. This place has turned into a hellhole for Cho'Gath.

"He's so close to realizing it, isn't he? Perhaps we should kill him before we move forward with the Plan." An eldritch voice sings in the Voidborn's head, filling the emptiness of the prison with mind-numbing clamor.

"Don't worry, he's too weak to stop us ... I'll be eating him last. I want to see his smug face twisted in despair."

"The League of Legends will soon meet its end."


	2. Chapter 2: Debonair Noxus

It's been 2 damn years. Holy shit that's some epic writer's block. Well, I'm back and I hope that my writing skills have not dulled.

Champion Appearances: Riven (Have you guessed which girl I like the most? It's Lulu. I don't want to be arrested, though.)

For those of you who have been following me for awhile, this chapter has been updated. I'm getting more into the groove of writing, and hopefully I'll be able to gradually increase the quality of all my chapters. I'm being honest when I say that I'm not nearly satisfied enough with several of these episodes. There's always room for improvement.

For those of you who are reading this story for the first time, thank you for spending the time to read this! For those of you who are here for the... erotic stuff, feel free to skip chapters. The smut is being sorted into their own pages, for ease of access. You'll know which ones are XXX scenes by reading my writer's comments here at the top. I will always let you know beforehand when the chapter has sexual content.

As always, please enjoy!

* * *

Lots of highly ranked summoners tend to showcase their fights and their advice to lower ranked summoners (and even to each other) through the Magi-net. You can just log with your summoning orb and view the records that the celebrities volunteer to you. I'll admit, Summoner Gbay's advice really helped me on those long days where I had more than 10 assignments (matches) to resolve. I, on the other hand prefer a more local relationship with those who would ask me. The night life in NoxDemacia is not unlike the atmosphere in any major city. There is an odd atmosphere here too, considering the relationship between these two countries. It's as if there's some unspoken rule that nobody gets patriotic with each other as I approach the stripmalls near the Gate. The tuxedo clashes with my dark skin and the atmosphere of these city streets, but my customers seem to think that it's charming on me. They also tell me I'd look good in an Ionian Robe, but that's probably a thinly veiled insult. Summoners don't take well to support mains in Noxus, and even though their general hatred for Demacians is somewhat squelched in the territory of the Diplomatic Embassy, their dislike for the support role still shines through. But enough about all that, this is my second job, and no I'm not going to be an 'escort'. Making my way down the street and turning into a well kempt alleyway, I walk up to the back entrance of a popular nightclub among the Summoners, the Debonair NoxDemacia. I remember the broadcast of the opening day of the first Debonair in Piltover. Jayce was dressed up in what is now the signature white tuxedo of the people who work and volunteer their time to give local advice to other summoners, or just share a drink with the civilians. Think of it like a "meet whatever celebrity you like" kind of place, for an hourly fee. There are even some champions that you can meet at the Debonairs but I'll get to that in a bit.

The air inside the bar is filled with smoke and Sona's latest album plays in the background. Most of the other summoners have 3 or 4 to their table. But they're all Diamonds.. I'm the only Plat who applied for a Debonair position. Needless to say, I'm not too popular here. The clientele usually clamours for the Diamond ranked summoners, and that's fine with me. I'll get there someday. Maybe when I become one of the strongest, I can bring Noxus to a more pure, uncorrupt state where we aren't looked upon and feared as simple tyrants. Ruling through fear and oppression is for the weak… Sorry, I've already given you that whole spiel about how I'm dissatisfied with Noxus and the direction it is taking. I'm surprised the League hasn't come down on us all like they did in Kalamanda.

After a short 10 minutes of waiting, I get my first client of the night, a Bronze ranked summoner. Oh, dear. I know where this is going. He regaled me with stories about how bad his teams are, and how good he is with his champion, and how he doesn't deserve to be Bronze. I've made that argument, I've heard that argument, I know it too well. Reader, I bet you've thought that to yourself at least a couple times. Be honest, now, there's no shame in it, and there's no shame in being Bronze. Don't let the other Noxians know I said that, by the way. I would probably get lynched. I give him a small lecture about overextending and build paths over a few drinks. Before long, I've gone on several tangents about being a Support main. The guy gives me a few weird looks, but apparently being from Demacia, he's pretty receptive to what I said. Some more laughs and a few pats on the back and he leaves, apparently satisfied. He'll be back tomorrow, though. People usually don't change their ways overnight, I certainly don't. He'll need to put in some honest effort if he's truly willing to improve. I give him a week before he gives up or receives his Silver ID from the League.

Having earned a short break, I sigh and sink into my couch. It's covered in a white faux fur. A pain to clean, but extremely comfortable. I've been caught too many times sleeping on the job because of these things. What's one more time going to hurt? Closing my eyes, I recall to mind the visions of the Void that have been haunting me these past few months. Legions of creatures, clamouring over a fallen Noxus. Darius is overwhelmed and torn to shreds with his own axe. Draven stumbles on his spinning blades, cutting off his own apendages in his desperate struggle to turn the tide of Void Soldiers. So much death, but no clues to their origin. The visions bring me to the center of the apocalypse, but I want to see the beginning. I want to stop it before it starts, and I have no idea how, where, or why it's coming. Suddenly someone delivers a solid *bonk* to my head, knocking me out of my meditation. "aaAAAAAH!" I jump up in my seat, apologizing for both my outburst and for sleeping on the job. The formalities end up being unnecessary, as a certain Champion stands before me, clad in her own uniform.

"Riven, it's nice to see you again. Why do you insist on wearing that outfit? It's unbecoming of you." Ffffffffffuck. Where do I even begin. When I got the job here, I only did it so that I could get some additional benefit from my addiction to the night life. I never would have imagined that Riven herself would be my colleague. She's dressed in her Bunny Girl uniform. It's the usual outfit that's handed out to the women who work here. Shortly after the first Debonair opened, Jayce and Ezreal, the womanizers that they are, insisted that Vi and Caitlyn wear these outfits in order to attract more crowds. Caitlyn, being the intelligent woman that she is, deduced the obvious ulterior motives of the men, but decided to go along with it anyways. Vi had other ideas. If I recall correctly, she started beating the shit out of them until they relented. Vi now wears one of the white tuxedos, just like the men. Between you and me, I think it looks great on her. In fact, women in tuxedos are pretty hot. If only Riven here was dressed in one, but I'll settle for the Bunny Girl Suit.

"Sigh, you're the only one who says that. The other men just leer at me."

"I… sorry."

"You're guilty of it, too, drop your innocent act already." Riven tilts her head and shoots me an irritated stare. Gentle people are few and far between in Noxus, and she's constantly irritated by how I act so polite to everyone all the time. Perhaps I'm hitting a pet peeve of hers without realizing it.

"I-I've never denied it! And this is how I am anyways!"

"Hmph, Support mains..."

As a Noxian champion, Riven usually shows up at the Debonair NoxDemacia. There isn't a Debonair Noxus; Jayce doesn't like Noxus enough to put a Debonair at one of our inner cities. In fact, the only reason why this bar is here at all is because of the close proximity of the Demacian city right on the other side of the Embassy. Of course, summoners tend to come here from all of Noxus simply to see Riven in her Battle Bunny costume. I'll admit, she looks amazing in it, but compared to how she was before, I quite hate her current look. Riven, the Crimson Elite! Riven, the Postergirl of Noxus! No, she wasn't sexualized then… much. You must have read her lore, a true rags to riches tale of a girl who believed in the Noxian merit system. The strong, even if they were born poor, are destined for greatness- this is the Noxian way as she understood it. Riven saw Noxus as a paved road for her, for someone strong, to rise from humble birth. She's no longer a "true Noxian", however. After her exile following the disastrous invasion of Ionia, the media branded her a traitor for defecting from the army. They blamed her for the death of her comrades, too, but I know that was Singed. At least, I trust her account of what happened. That was then, though. Now that the League put her in this outfit for publicity, she's not being seen as a slut as well. The reverence and respect that once surrounded Riven some years ago is now gone, and she's working as eye candy in the Debonair to make an extra check on the side.

At least, that's how my rational mind looks at it. I'm a single guy, so I can't help but see Riven in… other ways. Her proportions are voluptuous… or her outfit makes them look so. Her breasts looks like they could pop out of her top with any vigorous movement, and given that she's a dancer (with enough tips, that is), they almost come out about half the time she's working. Her hips seem to naturally seductively sway as she walks around, and the one piece that she wears doesn't do much to hide her round ass. This is obvious, but she's extremely popular with the men here. The only way I can get a word in with her edgewise is when we both take our breaks, like now. The other men tend to cheer her on during her dances, but even when alcohol totally smashes any boundaries that they usually would maintain, I haven't heard any overtly sexual requests during one of these performances recently. Probably has something to do with the one (er, ten) times she totally destroyed the tables Debonair with her "toy" carrot sword because someone said "Take it off! Show us your tits! Slut!" or something else degrading. Somehow, I can tell how much she hates this job. I wonder why she deals with this. Money talks, I guess. My lewd thoughts aside, I turn to regard Riven, trying to maintain eye contact with her eyes rather than her assets. It's difficult.

"No dances tonight yet?" I pat the couch beside me, and Riven leans over, giving me a good look down her top as she sits down. As if being near her wasn't arousing enough already. "No, I've made the tip jar bigger. About twice as big. Last time I danced, my breasts almost popped out of my uniform." Riven pulls up the tips of her costume, and squeezes her breasts together. I shift my legs and position my arms over my lap in an effort to hide my growing erection. "That's… nice." I gulp, and my heart skips a beat. Maintaining eye contact with her is getting harder by the second with the way she's showing off her body like that. "Easy for you to say, I've seen the way you look at me when I get on the stage. It's cute how much effort you're putting into looking at my eyes when we talk on my breaks, though." Riven laughs. "I'm not cute!" I reflexively respond. Sure, I'm on the short side, but that doesn't mean I'm cute. I'm just closer to hell! Don't underestimate me! "Right. You're a handsome little guy." Riven starts to give me this sadistic smile. Her face always gets that expression when she starts to tease me. It's a sharp contrast from her usual, more serious attitude and the seductive act that she puts up while on the job. "I'm not little, either!" My face starts to turn red. This is the normal pattern of dialogue for Riven and I, but no matter how many times we go through these motions, I still get embarrassed when she teases me. "Not right now, at least." Riven jokingly points down to my tented pants, which I forgot to continue hiding when I started shouting at her. I hastily cover up with the cocktail tray on the table as she laughs at me again. I sigh and drop my head. "S-sorry! It's hard to control." Riven gives my shoulder a firm pat. "Don't let your next client see it. You might give the wrong idea." With that, she gets up and walks to the stage. It seems her tip jar is overflowing for the first of many times tonight.

The chill, relaxing background noise of Sona's music gives way to a fast, upbeat tune... also by Sona. This one is from her short time as a DJ. I never had the pleasure of attending one of her EDM concerts. She performed in every country except Noxus and the Shadow Isles, and for good reason. Anyways, the sudden transition drew everyone's eyes to the stage. It's a thin runway that gradually fans out until it reaches both of the outer walls. The stage allows for there to be a solid barrier between the clientele and the employees. I would need a whole book's worth of check-marks to count how many times someone has attempted to sneak out back and take a peek at the showgirls' changing room. The outer edge of the plateau is lined with flashing lights of all colors. The floor of the stage itself is covered in red velvet carpeting. Riven and the other girls often talk about how nice it is to walk on it barefoot. Speaking of whom, Riven saunters out onto the stage, consciously accentuating her curves by rocking her body with each step. I instantly hear cheers and hoots from the other tables. Reclining on the couch and resting my legs on the glass table, I knock back a glass of Gragas-brand whiskey and enjoy the show. No matter how many times I see her dancing at that pole, I never get used to it. I don't know if it's because of the way she wraps her legs around the rod or the way that she leans back off of it. Perhaps it's the way she sometimes squeezes it in between her breasts, or the part where she pretends to pull down her top only to stop right before exposing anything, but no matter what Riven always drives me nuts. All of the men here, and probably some of the women, would certainly say the same.

Several dances later and 3:00 rolls around. The showgirls and the bartenders pitch in to clean up. The summoners just flat out leave. Their performance in the League is incredibly important for a ton of major disputes between Noxus and the other nations, so they are always exempt from the worst part of this job. I stay behind, though. Partially because I honestly don't feel right about leaving all the work to everyone else, and mostly because I want more time to talk to Riven. The manager thanks the summoners and I for volunteering our time, and hands us our share of the tips for tonight. Riven and the other Bunny Girls have changed into their street clothes, and have headed home together. Riven makes a point of getting them all home safely. Most of these girls are weak, and a few are rape victims. Did I mention that Noxian laws protect those who hold positions of high power? I could probably take one of those girls and get away with it too… I'm not a rapist though, I'm a "bad Noxian"- not that that is an objectively bad thing.

Saying my goodbyes to my co-workers, I head home to my fancy apartment (Influence points tend to be worth more than gold these days), and lay down on my bed and try to get some rest… before the Visions start to torment me again.


	3. Chapter 3: A Bad Dream, Right?

Hello again! For those of you who have been following this story for awhile, I just updated this chapter. Interestingly enough, my original comment here still applies!

"Wow, I made a lot of mistakes my first time writing this! I hope I've managed to weed out all of them before adding more chapters."

To think that after two years I'm back at it with this fanfiction stuff. I hope you all are enjoying this journey as much as I am! Please look forward to new chapters and I hope you like this new and improved one!

* * *

_DEATH WILL NOT BE THE END OF FOR YOU!_

_I HAVE SEEN TO IT! FOR ETERNITY,_

_YOU_

_ARE_

_MINE!_

Cho'Gath's signature taunt rings in my ears as a black, deeper than Noxian darkness, seeps into my dreams. Slowly, the shadows dissipate like billowing smoke and my Vision begins. I'm standing at the Debonair, charred and bleeding. The Void hordes are close at my heels. I am given no quarter as I rush through the flaming building. I'm desperate, and I don't know why. *ping!* Icicles crash to the ground housing fractured Voidlings. The Frost Tome I borrowed from the League is potent, but it will not save me for long. Keeping away the fire, my mana drains rapidly as I rummage through what will soon become the charred wreckage of the Debonair. The Diamond summoners, people who were supposed to be the strongest that Noxus has to offer- all dead. Lying in food piles for the creatures to feast upon. Not just them, too. All of my coworkers, the manager, the Bunny Girls… WHAT!? The girls, what about Riven! No…

_no-no-No-NO-__**NO!**_

That's when I see it. The most horrible thing that these nightmares could have ever shown me. Riven, her arms and legs torn apart, her lifeless torso suspended with void tentacles as more Voidlings burst from inside her. I can hear bloodcurdling hisses and clicks as tons of the little bastards crawl out from the holes that used to connect her severed appendages to her body. They turn on me. Dropping my sword, I give up and let the bastards take my life away… I black out in the dream and... I think it flashes forward to a later time. I'm taken to the Void Army's generals. Several champions that I used to wield now are orchestrating my slow, painful death. Vel'Koz incinerates part of my head gleaning what he can from my memories. Kha'Zix feasts upon my hands, taking the tome for himself and with it, my powers. I look on in terror as his spike racks sparkle with black and purple tinged ice shards. Kog'Maw and Cho'Gath get the "best part", and they slowly feast upon my remains. My last memory is of the inside of Cho's belly as the acids in his stomach slowly melt me away. Even though I know that this is a dream, the pain feels incredibly real. It's agonizing. I repeat this to my self over and over. "It's only a dream. It's only a dream." While the repetition is good for me to keep my sanity, it does nothing to alleviate the horrid sensations. Slowly, I snap, lashing out against the walls of Cho's stomach in a blind rage. My vigor is oddly high considering my situation, but it does not help me escape the belly of the beast.

_No, this can't happen. It's only a vision. This is only a dream! It's not real- it's... it's..._

_I have to stop this from happening!_

I wake up in my bed, sweaty and screaming. I almost fall over on my way to the bathroom, clinging to and scratching the walls as I stumble down the hallway. That vision was my most vivid yet. My body's tingling as if I really was being digested. Ugh, just remembering that… *bfft!* Holding back my vomit, I run the rest of the way to the restroom and empty my stomach's contents into the sink. The otherwise attractive looking marble tabletop is soiled with the remnants of the cocktail I had earlier tonight. At least I'm "rested" enough to get my bearings this time. Often, the insomnia caused by these nightmares is so bad that I usually go without sleep. Looking at the ornate clock in my living room, I calculate exactly how much time I was able to rest. Perhaps this is a record. Hmm... I got home at 4:00 and fell asleep at 4:15. It's now 5:30 and I can't go back… not with those dreams awaiting me. I've had enough of that shit for one night- no- a lifetime. I slowly make my way down the stairs, sarcastically praising the "wonderful Noxian sky" with those "beautiful" Zaunite smoke stacks coming from the power plant at the edge of town. Those crazy scientists! The only good things I've seen come out of Zaun are Blitzcrank and Zac. At night, the powerplants actually go into overdrive, filling the atmosphere with smoke while the night sky just makes the abundance of pollution just redundant as far as colors go. "I wonder if I'll get second-hand smoking cancer from living in this place", I wonder aloud. "It's a shame, really. I hate Zaun, too", a voice answers from behind me. Startled, I stand up straight and slowly turn around. Anxiety takes hold as I try to go through all the possibilities of this conversation here. _Who's up THIS early in the morning!? Especially someone who actually disagrees with the technology pact that connects Noxus and Zaun? This conversation could kill the both of us if the High Command get word of this! _I resolve to face the stranger and immediately recognize her. A disheveled Riven is standing in front of me. She's rubbing her arms with both of her hands and hugging herself. She seems cold and a bit tired. This is a huge surprise, but she's a sight for sore eyes.

"...Riven? What are you doing up this early?"

"Don't you know? I'm homeless."

"Wh-what!?"

Riven went on to explain her situation to me. I feel stupid for not having realized this before. Why is Riven called "The Exile" in the League's rosters? Why did she pick that title for herself? Obviously, it's because she's actually an exile. And here I was thinking it was just a cool sounding title with no meaning besides the fact that she now dislikes and is disliked by Noxus. "The Anti-Noxian" or "The Noxian Traitor" sound like less-appealing titles, though the media and High Command think otherwise. I had no idea her bad publicity ran this deep. Apparently she can't afford room and board, not because she doesn't have the money (See: Her tip jar in the Debonair every 10 minutes) but because no inn or apartment complex will take her in. Even here, near the border to Demacia, shops hesitate to accept her patronage, if she's lucky enough to get anyone to take her money at all. It seems she only works at the Debonair because the changing rooms have a connected washroom to give her a place to maintain her hygiene. The League offers similar amenities, but the League's Embassy here is staffed with Noxians. Riven couldn't get the time of day there, much less a warm bath or a place to sleep. Wait! That's something I can offer! I wouldn't even hesitate to help someone who's asking for it, much less offer it to someone like Riven.

"Well, you can stay with me, if you'd like!"

I nod, approving my decision. The offer was natural for someone like me. I always help people. A personal mantra of mine: "One can be strong, but one who is not willing to carry others on his back is not strong enough." This may seem like an old Ionian saying, but this actually was extremely close to the old Noxian creed. That one was "One can be strong, but one who is not able to lead others is not strong enough". As you already know, Noxus values "strength above all", as Lord Darius would say. I, too, highly value strength, but I don't see the point in leading a country when its people are suffering. I adopted this phrase because it adorned one particular poster. I actually have it hung in my room right now. It's an old Noxian military advertisement featuring- you guessed it- the woman standing right in front of me right now. When Riven rose up as a soldier in the Noxian military, she had a reputation for not leaving her subordinates behind. When asked why she put so much effort into saving those who are "too weak" she said that line, and it's been the core of my belief system since then. The media loved it at the time. It was a refreshing breeze in the wake of other soldiers like Darius, Draven, and Swain (who was only a military sergeant at the time, of not-so-high renown). "Here is another kind of strength!" I thought the day that this poster decorated every street corner. Just the previous day it was an artist's rendition of Darius lopping the head off of his commander. I'm pretty sure it was more because of her lithe body than her actual strength, but I have never seen the government change their military pamphlets so quickly before.

Handing Riven my summoner's robe to keep her hidden, we silently sneak up the stairs and enter my apartment. I never thought that I would be welcoming **the** Riven to my house because everybody else threw her onto the street. Not that I'm glad she's being treated like this, but my heart flutters a little. I would be lying if I didn't have any ulterior motives. Maybe... I could take her out on a date or something? Um, I digress. We had to be quick as we quietly dashed through my door and locked it. Riven tells me that others have tried to take her in, but were promptly told to throw her out or be evicted. I'm willing to risk this, though. My apartment... isn't nearly as big as a normal apartment. I only call it such because of how nice it looks. I didn't think I'd need to accommodate anyone other than myself, so it only has 1 bedroom and small bathroom. I mean, there's a kitchen, but I can't make much more than whatever comes with instructions on the box. It would be more apt to call this a glorified studio than anything else. Some books about military strategy litter the floor, not to mention my clothes are in a heap by the hamper in what would be my living room… if there was a couch and a HexTekScreen to watch shows on.

"Sorry, I don't usually have guests. But you can stay here until you can somehow find a place for yourself."

"That's not going to happen, though… I've tried. The last person who took me in- a man named Magnus- tried to sneak a summoning orb into my food. I realized he was planning to take advantage of me, as I learned later that he was brainwashing champions." Riven sighs. "Just like every man who's offered me a place to stay for the night." Having said that, she starts to stare at me with a peculiar gaze... "Date rape seems to have escalated in recent years", I mused aloud, not really paying attention to what Riven said as I scramble to clean the place up for her. Suddenly, it clicks and I immediately become anxious that Riven was implying something about my own intentions! I mean, sure I was planning to use this as a chance to get closer to her, but I'm not going to force her to have sex with me! I raised my hands defensively, "I-I don't plan to do anything like that! Please trust!"

"..." Riven only returns a sharp Glare.

"Do you honestly think I'd pull something like that!?" I'm shaking, now. The contexts of my offer have finally sunk into my thick skull. Riven's living in the same house as me; we're sharing a bathroom- THERE'S ONLY ONE BEDROOM. Either this is a dream come true or I'm going to die if I cross any lines I'm not supposed to. This isn't the Debonair; there's nobody here who's able to stop Riven if she decides to up and kick my ass.


	4. Chapter 4: Getting Answers

Whew, almost done rewriting these chapters. I hope they're easier on the eyes, now.

Enjoy!

* * *

It's about 7 AM now. Riven and I are walking together to the Summoner's Hall together. If you're wondering what happened in the one hour or so that I left out, don't get any ideas. Nothing happened; this isn't a goddamn eroge I'm writing here... (yet.) We briefly discussed the conditions of her staying in my place. There's almost enough room for both of us, so I easily agreed to let her live with me indefinitely. Pushing my shameful musings into the back of my head, I repetitively assured her that I had no ulterior motives. Did you know that if you say something too much, and look really **REALLY **anxious while saying it, people don't tend to believe you? Well, Riven seemed like she did… after she teased me about it for about a half hour. Even though she's ex-military, Riven can be quite whimsical at times. I think the inconsistency there makes her that much more adorable.

Riven's cuteness, however, is not actually what's at the forefront of my mind, though you'll probably catch me going off on tangents about her, and several other women, more often than not. My memory of the ruined Debonair lingers in my current thoughts. My banter with Riven seems to lighten up things a bit, but I can't help but seeing her being mutilated in my head everytime our eyes meet. We arrive at the hall and exchange goodbyes, Riven's spirits seem to be up now that she actually has a home, temporary as it may be.

"So… I'll see you again at the Debonair, right?"

"Actually… I'm off to hand in my resignation there. I'm quitting."

"Hmm, why?" I muse aloud.

"Well… I was only working there for a place where I can freshen up, as I've told you. Now I have a place I can call home. Or do you still want to see me in that Battle Bunny outfit later…?"

"N-no! That's quite alright! If you can believe it, I actually don't quite like it."

"Your lower half tends to say otherwise."

I sigh, and she chuckles at my apprehension. "No, seriously. I say it to you every night. That costume single-handedly ruined any respect the Noxians had of you."

Now Riven sighs, she looks down at the ground, somewhat dejected at my comment. "Actually, that happened far before I ever wore that bunny costume..."

"... I'm sorry, as someone who knew about you before you became 'The Exile' I should have known."

"It's alright, I'm still just as proud as I was back then. No costume or title or Noxian media will ever ruin who I really am."

I smile. A fake one, but I did. I'm deeply concerned about how effected Riven seems to be by her downfall, but the Void threat seems to be more urgent to me. Parting ways with her, I walk into the Summoner's Hall; hopefully, I can meet Kassadin and talk about my visions with someone who wouldn't rather kill me than say something that can help me.

I enter my "office" inside the hall. It's not very personalized, the bare stone walls aren't adorned with anything other than a stationary summoner orb and an attached console where I swipe my ID. A few years back, each summoner was directly bound to a champion but these days everything is virtualized. Champions themselves are barely summoned onto the Rift anymore; "bots", whose capabilities and stats can be "balanced" by the League are used instead. You use your ID to identify yourself as a summoner and your profile is loaded into the orb's interface on the desk. I log in and immediately I get a message from one of my colleagues.

"Bunny: Hey, Gin. Want to duo?"

Bunny is one of my friends who was mentioned earlier, if you recall my prelude. A Silver ranked summoner, he's been trying to climb up to Gold in order to receive higher rewards at the end of this year.

"Yeah, let me relog."

The League issued certain restrictions on duos entering ranked assignments recently. To prevent Diamonds from bringing Bronze summoners into matches, only summoners a single tier apart can team up. There are, of course, ways to get around this. I brandish a few Silver IDs from my wallet. They belong to friends of mine who quit being summoners about 1 year ago. I caught them as they were about to turn in their resignation forms and suggested "Hey, you should let me hold onto your cards." They're no longer receiving stipends from the League, and work civilian jobs (well-paying ones, at that) these days. As to why I have their summoner IDs? You've guessed it- smurfing. I have several alternate summoner accounts under my belt, but the only ones that are not "in training" are the ones that used to belong to other people. They've totally moved on from their aspirations of becoming high-ranking summoners anyways, and are pursuing happiness with other means. Essentially, it's like having friends who do all the agonizing training matches on your accounts for you! It's one of the few ways I actually act like a "true Noxian".

[Noxus V Ionia: "The winning side will be able to enforce an embargo on XXXXX trade routes according to the establish laws of the affected party."]

My friend turns to me, "This isn't betting cities like your *ahem* high-ranked assignments, but I hope you'll get me a win for these next few matches. I'm being considered for a promotion right now."

Well, then. I guess I'll pull out all the stops here. I demand support (as if that's even hard in low ranked queves) and call upon an old friend of mine… Leona. Back when I was Silver, I hit a wall; no hope of promotion, no light at the end of the tunnel. I spent two years like that before I became a support main. Why main support, you ask? Leona. No light at the end of my tunnel? She became my Sun. I'm not afraid to admit, I find her pretty attractive, too.

"Gin, is that you?" Leo (well, her bot/clone) speaks to me. It seems that the bots share memories with the champions that they are attached to. That's both cool and slightly creepy.

"Shhhh! You're going to give me away! I'm trying to help a friend here. Will you represent me?"

Leo shrugs, "I don't get why you always ask for permission. I'm a bot. I'm programmed to comply."

Sigh, bots may move, act, and have the memories and personalities of champions, but they will never, ever truly emulate a real person. The match begins and I head with Bunny to the bot lane. Somehow, Tristana got through the banning phase. This will be easy.

[Double Kill]

[Triple Kill!]

[Quadra Kill!]

[PENTAKILL]

"... Gin, how the fuck did you do that?"

"... I lucked out?"

Leona stands triumphantly on top of a mountain of corpses. It seems like I did something really cool, but it was simply a string of well/badly timed eclipse bursts and stuns and zenith blades. I wasn't doing ALL of the damage, but if you were to take the ADC out of the equation, I'd say I did enough. The rest of Bunny's placement matches were pretty rough, but we ended up winning him his promotion in the end. He's still in Silver, but just a little ways out of the shit-hole that he's in. A day well fought, I take my IP check and go off to see if I can meet Kassadin.

Kass isn't often seen at the League. He tends to keep to himself, but I know of an easy way to find him.

Kha'Zix. He's currently chained to a wall with runic bindings preventing him from turning invisible. The cell is pretty bare-bones. No Kassadin. Kha'Zix sees me enter the room, and shoots me a knowing glance.

"Your inquiries are useless, human. Nothing can stop the Void."

"... Not with **that **attitude." I mime a pair of "Finger Guns" at him with a "Pew Pew!" and he audibly groans.

Smirking at Kha as I leave his cell, I go off to see Malzahar, who is STILL speaking in tongues, then, Cho, Kog, and finally… Vel'Koz. Vel's the newest void champion that's been captured by the League. I heard he incinerated an entire town (and a few summoners) before finally falling. I see Kass in there with him, beating at the cage housing the tentacled monster as Vel responds with a volley of lasers, all neutralized by the magic barrier. I don't want to interrupt their "polite conversation" but I think that my most recent night terror takes precedence over whatever they're shouting at each other about:

*ahem* "Kassadin?"

"What do you want, summoner!? Can't you see that I'm trying to get some answers out of this Voidling scu-"

"Yeah, yeah, apocalypse and all that. Listen, I've seen Icathia."

Upon hearing these words Kassadin voidwalks right up to my face. Brandishing his Voidblade at my neck, he screams "Are you one of Malzahar's cultists!?"

"No, no, NO, nO, **NO! **Oh, please! I'm a fragile Noxian." Flailing my arms, I hurriedly expound to Kassadin my foolish trek into Shurima to find the infamous city of Icathia. "I can't tell you exactly where I stumbled (a hint though: **there was a fuckton of sand**) but I can tell you what happened to me. It was like the Void (if you could consider its existence a self-aware entity) thought it would be pretty funny if it took a money shot right into the left eye of a guy who wandered in innocently inquiring about the perfect Cho'Gath item build. I didn't get what I asked for, but I got these "really cool" future visions that aggravate my already horrid insomnia."

Kassadin, after much persuasion, withdrew his voidblade and allowed me to relax.

"Foolish, human. Why do so many people think that getting corrupted by the Void is worth a glimpse into Icathia?"

"Well, there's this monkey called Curious Geor-" *smack!*

"Stop that. Don't follow his example."

"Joking aside, Kass, can you do something about my visions?"

"No. They're permanent. Unless you do something to avoid that future, or die, you will never be rid of your nightmares. Now, will you answer my own question?"

"Sure, shoot."

"What is your 'void power'?"

"Excuse me…?"

"Everyone who's touched by the void gets nightmares, but those who have vivid dreams, such as the one you recently experienced, have some kind of "gift". A side-effect of being touched by its corruption. I see glimpses of my death every night, but I have the benefit of this blade, void magic, and short-range teleportation. You should be the same, in that you have some benefits to go with your curse."

I put my right hand to my chin and ponder what Kassadin had said. Do I really have void powers? I mean, he IS the voidwalker. He would know. If I do… this could be something incredibly helpful. I honestly have no inkling of anything void related in my skillset. All I have is ice magic borrowed from the tomes I use, and whatever summoners do.

"... Nope. I haven't manifested anything of the sort."

"Odd. Well, let me know if anything changes. I can help you."

"Thank you, your advice was enlightening."

"You're welcome. Now, I'll be on my way."

With that, Kassadin disappeared into a rift. Nothing evidenced his passage other than the wisps of void magic that briefly lingered in his wake. My curiosity is satisfied for the moment, and my anxiety is similarly quenched, and I go through my daily routine of feeding Cho and heading home to change into my Debonair uniform.

Inside my house awaits a peculiar sight. My living room is actually a living room… I guess. Instead of being furnished with my beautiful, rusty- er- vintage washing machine, and the carpet decorated with my smelly cloth- er I mean my latest piece of modern art (it represents the laziness of all humanity)- the area is adorned with various kinds of bamboo practice swords (they're oversized), and exercise equipment and mats. It seems Riven has spent today settling into her new home.

I don't necessarily mind the surprise, other than the fact that it was surprising. Upon closer inspection, it seems like all of things here have been recently arranged and are prepared for use. I can hear rustling coming from my bedroom. Is Riven changing in there…? An epiphany bolts to the front of my mind, as if the implications weren't obvious already. _Any ecchi scene brings death! _As if I'd go out of my way to embarrass her just for a cheap thrill. Just to make sure she doesn't walk out… compromised, I shout to make my presence clear:

"I'm home!"

Wow, I'm paranoid. Guess I shouldn't have worried. Riven comes out from her bedroom to greet me. Instead of her usual armor and rags, she's wearing a tank top and yoga pants. A bright, red towel hangs around her neck. It seems like Riven had kept all of these things in a storage area at the Summoner's Hall, just in case she's ever found a place to put them.

"Sorry, it's just been so long since I've found a place to really call home! I got a little… overexcited."

"No, no. It's a good improvement on the slop that I had. Um… where did you put all of that crap anyways?"

"Oh, it's in the hall closet."

"... I have a hall closet?"

Apparently there was a door at the end of the hall, between the bedroom and the bathroom. I never noticed it due to my… my pure stupidity? I've ignored other things before. I guess I never cared to look since I've never cared to make my place look nice. Riven and I exchange pleasantries and small talk before I go into my room to change. It's as messy as ever. Riven doesn't seem to have messed with it at all. Thank god she respects my privacy... WAIT. Wouldn't it be odd for you to walk into a room and see yourself on a poster hung on the wall? Well, that JUST happened to her. I look at the poster: "_One can be strong, but one who is not willing to carry others on one's back is not strong enough." _Let's add to that, "_One can admire someone, but if you invite that person into your house, don't let her see that picture of her on your bedroom wall." _I hide the poster inside the closet - the only way you can see it is if you come in looking for it now. Riven didn't seem to acknowledge it, so I'm pretty sure that I'm safe from **that **source of horrible embarrassment.

I don my tuxedo as is usual. I literally have 7 of them for each day of the week. Each one is slightly different; a tie, the vest, or my corsage change daily. Walking into the bathroom to inspect myself, I notice that the sink is no longer soiled with my vomit from this morning. Did Riven clean that up? I'll need to thank her. Brushing my teeth, applying my cologne, etc. I walk out to talk to her before I head off to the Debonair.

Riven is doing exercises with the equipment she brought into the house. Several large, foam pillars circle her as she performs a classic Noxian sword dance. It's one I know quite well. When she first received her Runic Blade as a commendation from the High Command, people from all over were clamouring to learn Noxian swordsmanship. I was not strong enough to use a giant sword one-handed like Riven was, but I was at the top of my class due to the accuracy (read: lethality) of my swordplay. I not-so-fondly remember the times where people quit the class due to the fact that I got too into the sparring. Bloody noses, large bruises, one time I even caused internal bleeding. My instructor thanked me for "snuffing out the weak" but I was never too proud of that achievement. I always thought that I was good with swords because of that class, but watching Riven both humbled and awed me.

*thwak* *crunch* *bang* Her wooden blade repeatedly met with the foam. Faster and more precise than I could have ever done, she filled my new exercise room with loud, rhythmic drumming. Eventually a *crack* exploded through the room as her sword met a pillar with so much force, it broke off… and flew right at my head. Seconds after it knocked me on my ass Riven was kneeling down beside me on the floor.

"Are you alright?"

"Did you get too much into it? Don't worry, I know the feeling." Rubbing my head to dull the pain, I give Riven a forced smile to assure her I'll be alright.

"Here, let me get you something for your head…" Riven walked over to my _new_ hall closet and removed some bandages she stored there. Wetting them at the faucet in the kitchen, she quickly returned to me and started to wrap them around my head. They feel tight, but very comfortable. I can see why Riven likes wearing these all the time. The pain didn't go away for long, due to the fact that her position, bending over to tend to me, gave me a look right down her tank top. It fit loosely to her body so I got a view of her tanned orbs packaged tightly in bandage wrappings. Her sweat makes the tops of her breasts glisten, highlighted by her heavy breathing from her recent exercise. With the pain moving from my head to my _other head_, I couldn't help blushing, trying to avert my eyes from her deep cleavage. Riven, observant as always, noticed my obvious arousal and her expression changed from a look of pity and concern to one of slight apprehension. Adjusting herself so that she was sitting on my lap, she looked me straight in the eyes and asked

"... Well?"

* * *

As an author's note: it's just smut beyond here, and not important at all to the major storyline I'm setting up. If you aren't interested in this sort of thing, feel free to ignore this section, and the next chapter too.

I'll write these next few sections carefully so there's no loss of continuity if you do decide to skip the smutty stuff. Thank's for reading, by the way! I appreciate any acknowledgement that my stories get.

* * *

Realizing she noticed by the way she used her hips to grind against it as she lowered her body onto mine, I turned bright red. "Um, I'm sorry. Could you just ignore that….?"

"No, I can't. I'm living in your house, I moved in all my things, and you haven't yet said anything about rent..." She points to my tented pants, seemingly angry at me.

"No- uh, NO! I told you already that I don't have any ulterior motives! Just give me some IP every now and then and-"

"You're plat. I've seen your account. You have every champion, most of the runes, and already enough IP to change your username TWICE. You don't need that."

"Well, I don't need- uh- sexual favors, either!"

In response, Riven became very obviously angry. "What kind of Noxian are you? You're a coward." She puffs out her chest and brings her hands behind her back. With a snap, her bandages start to become loose.

*snap* "Don't tell me you think..."

*snap* "I don't see..."

*snap* "the way you look at me?"

A short pause followed. I gulped, and tried to look straight into her eyes. She turns her head to the side and quickly puffs up her chest, replacing my contact with her eyes with a good view of her breasts. She tears the bandages out with a single, decisive motion, causing them to shake and drop, stretching the fabric of her top as they are freed from their bondage. I can't help but drop my jaw and stare intently at them.

"There, that's the look you give me." Riven turns her head, an angry glare drills into my eyes.

I raise my hands between us defensively. "I don't need this from you, though!"

"You're right, but you're a coward." Riven grabs my wrists and brings them forward, giving me a good feel of her tits. Her tanned skin is starting to ooze through the thin fabric of her top. My fingers instinctively squeeze around them. Riven responds with utter revulsion to my touch, but continues to hold my hands there.  
"You're a horrible liar." She pulls my wrists, pushing up her breasts with my hands. "I saw the poster in your bedroom."

"That doesn't mean I need you to fuck me to live with me!" I say, but she tightens the grip on my wrists as she leans in.

"You're pissing me off. Be honest already." She throws away my hands and pulls her top down. The already tight fabric is now leaving nothing to the imagination, as her nipples are now poking through her sweat soaked blouse. "Every man who's given me shelter has gotten pleasured by this body."

"That doesn't mean I want to-"

"Are you okay with that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you saying that you're okay with the fact that other men have touched me? Are you saying that you're below them?"

"No-"

"Then what are you waiting for?" Riven shakes her breasts seductively. "Stop being a coward."

I glare into her eyes. "How am I a coward?"

With one hand, she slowly pulls her shirt up, lifting her breasts inside of it.

"A coward..." The undersides of her breasts are clearly in view.

"doesn't run..." Her round orbs are now only held up by her nipples, poking through the thin piece of fabric that is the only thing left lifting them up.

"... from what he wants." They drop out with a satisfying sway.

With that, Riven pulls her top the rest of the way off, and they jiggle again as she raises her arms above her head, the entire time looking directly into my eyes.

"... Shit!" I finally give in, reaching out and grabbing her on my own. Her face flushes and she seems to reject it, for only a second.

Opening her mouth, she sighs and arches her back, pushing her breasts further into my hands. Riven reaches down and unzips my pants. Pulling out my cock and stroking it, she eggs me on further. I pinch and pull on her nipples, enjoying the sensation.

"Don't tell me you only want a handjob."

"U-uh..."

"Tell me what you want." Her tongue slowly licks her lips, making an indecent "O" shape.

I slowly nod. "I... I want you to use your tits and your mouth."

Riven smiles, "You really like my tits, huh?" and she gets up and leads me by the hand to my bedroom. She makes a show of rocking her hips. Stopping a few times to purposely bump my exposed rod against her well-shaped ass. I can't believe this is happening.

Once I'm undressed, she gets down on the ground below me and slowly stands up, making sure to press her tits against my legs. Finally, she starts to reach my hips. There, I wait patiently as she lets the tops of her breasts touch the base of my rod and slowly rise... too slowly. It's agonizing. No pressure at all, just her breasts dangling at the sides of my cock. This goes on for what seems like forever as she gradually swallows the entire length in her cleavage. I hold my breath as she squeezes them tight and caresses me, pushing and kneading them against my manhood.

Minutes pass, and now she's breathing heavily at my tip. I'm finding it hard to endure when suddenly her tongue flicks up my precum and makes a few rounds at my lower head. I instinctively grip the bed sheets as she continues with her ministrations. Her lips close around my meat as she begins to suck, I can feel myself twitch in anticipation as I try to hold back the torrent of fluid rising up from my balls in between her luscious breasts. She slows for a second and makes eye contact with me. With a knowing wink, she pulls her breasts back a bit to allow her to swallow more of me, forcing me over the edge.

Riven releases me from her mouth and leans back, pumping me for every drop of cum. It sprays her face and chest, coating her in a thin layer of white. All the while, I'm having the best orgasm I've had in my entire life. My mind goes blank...


	5. Chapter 5: Growing Up (Just a Little)

Hi everyone! Sorry, this chapter does nothing to advance the main plot, unless you consider Gin's relationship with Riven to be the "main plot". Whatever. This is just a heads-up to just skip this chapter if you're not interested in a date with Riven, because that's all this chapter is.

* * *

I woke up the next day naked in bed. Stretching my arms, I feel slightly refreshed... though I don't recall why I felt this way, or why my clothes are gone. Rather, I WISH I had forgotten! Gripping my head, I dig my nails into my skin in an effort to punish myself for the events of the night before. "How could I do that!?" I screamed. Getting out of bed was hard. My entire body was heavy with guilt. Sure, I felt great before, but I felt as if that entire situation last night could have been avoided if I managed to control myself. Sure, Riven's had to do this for other men, but I wasn't about to demand this sort of thing.

I opened the closet to get some clothes, and there it was, the old poster of Riven in her military years. "I didn't do anything to deserve what I got." I whisper to myself. With a dejected sigh, I roll it up and gently put it away in a tube. I told myself at the time that I wouldn't take it out again- that I didn't deserve Riven. She proved it last night. I've only been after her body this entire time. Her sexy, well-toned... I slap myself. "I need to become a monk or something."

"Feeling guilty?" Riven calls from behind me.

I jump, almost stepping on the cardboard tube and completely crushing the poster within. "Riven! Riven, I... yes."

I drop my head and she crosses her arms expectantly. Her stare is blank, she's probably waiting for me to say more.

"Why did you go through all that to get me to um... demand that from you?"

Riven shrugs. "As I said, every man whose given me shelter has taken advantage of me. Your desire for me was the same as theirs but you're too chicken-shit to admit it."

"I... I see."

"And now you're ashamed of what you've done because you've convinced yourself that you're some sort of White Knight?" Riven glares at me.

"That's not how it is-"

"Of course it's not!" Riven shouts. She places her hands on her hips and stands tall, taller than me, and looks down at me as she begins her lecture. "What did you think was going to happen? Oh, I've been abused by so many men and then you come in with this _nice guy_ act and what happens next?"

"W-well..."

"Did you think I was supposed to fall in love with you?" A deadly glare penetrates my soul as my face turns bright red. I break eye contact with her and look away. "And THEN we have sex or something? Does it mean something more to you if you convince me that you're some sort of angel and that you're the one who deserves my body? That's manipulative, you fucking coward."

"S-shit..." She sees through everything.

"You have a lot of growing up to do." Riven says flatly.

"I... yes..." I can feel tears welling up in my eyes. Riven's words pierce me like well trained arrows. "But-"

"But?"

For the first time in a long time, I stand up straight. "I really do love you. You have to believe me"

Riven sighs. "Sure. I don't have to return your feelings, though."

"I understand that. But because I have those feelings, I don't feel comfortable with taking advantage of you like I did last night."

"So what? Your lower half says otherwise. If I remember last night well enough, you were _very comfortable _with telling me to give you that titfuck." Riven steps forwards, pushing me back.

"Urk-" I back up quickly.

"I believe what you're saying but you still admitted to everything just now. I'll be frank right now. I don't like you like that. I would never fall in love with a coward." She pushes me again, I fall back onto my bed. "And you're a huge fucking coward. You're in a position of power over me, but you aren't using it. Are you really a Noxian?"

Something inside me snaps. I don't know if it's the stress I got from the night before, or the fact that Riven, the basis of my entire philosophy, is calling me a coward.

"Fine! I'll use that power! Because I'm not a coward, I'll show you!"

"Humph. Really?" Riven gives me an inquisitive look, not without very obvious doubt.

"You're living with me so you're going to have to do what I want!" I reach out and pull her onto the bed and roll over her.

"Yeah, I did what you want last night?" Riven gives me a look of disgust. "Do you want me to suck you off again already?"

I grit my teeth, "NO! I'm not a goddamn animal!"

"Then what are you going to make- "

I don't know what came over me again. I just... locked our lips together. It felt like forever. I didn't want it to end, but I pulled away. In that accidental moment of passion, I knew what I wanted to do. Yes, I wanted Riven's body. She's right, and I'm going to act on that impulse, but that's not the main thing I realized. I knew... that this is probably my best chance to make her fall in love with me, and it would be cowardly of me not to take advantage of it.

I think... I think I understand what Riven was saying to me. Perhaps she knows me better than myself.

"As long as you're here. You have to go out with me."

"What?"

"If you're going to live with me, I'm going to make you my girlfriend!"

"I TOLD you I don't like you like that!"

"I-I don't care! I'm making you do this! We're going to go on a date every week, and then I'm going to take you home and **fuck **you!"

Riven's eyes widened a little.

"And someday, I'll take you on a date so fucking good, and give you sex so fucking great, that you'll fall in love with me! I think that I'm the best guy that you can possibly be with, so if you can't handle that then get the fuck out of here!" ... _oh shit, what if she actually leaves though? _The thought flicks the back of my mind for a second, but I squelch it immediately. Riven hates cowards. I have to prove I'm willing to take risks if I'm going to capture her heart.

Silence fills the room for what seems to be an eternity as I wait for her response. Riven, seemingly musing over the ultimatum that I gave her eventually starts to chuckle. Then, she starts to laugh. I smile too, but my laughter is nervous and forced. I have no idea what she thinks is so funny.

"Hey, you're acting like a chicken shit again. If you're really that serious then you're going to have to stop that."

"Uh-"

"You've got yourself a... 'Girlfriend'." With that Riven gives me a kiss... and a little bit of tongue. My face turns bright red and I jump up in surprise. She uses this opportunity to throw me off the bed and walk up to the door. "... Well?"

"... W-well what!?" My brain's overloaded, she actually accepted my ridiculous conditions.

"Get dressed already. Aren't you taking me on a date?"

* * *

I don't know what I was doing for those next ten minutes. I didn't ever entertain the thought that I would get this far with Riven. Anyways, I decided that we should go to the NoxDemacian fashion district to get her some nicer clothes. I think she would like to wear something nicer than just the rags she has been wearing and the Bunny Suit, too. I've also started to suffer from this annoying stammer. I'll need to control it if I'm going to be a proper man for Riven. In fact, she spent most of our time on the way over making fun of me and calling me a "virgin". Damn her intuition. I'll make her change that tonight.

But first, let's change her clothes. We've arrived. Riven's not the type of girl to really like the pompous, unwieldy dresses of higher-class noxian fasion, so I took her to one of the military clothing stores.

"What are we doing here?" Riven whispers to me. "You know they hate me here."

"They're going to have to deal with it. Follow me." Almost immediately we're stopped by one of the militia outside the entrance it seems he's the store owner.

"Sorry, we don't allow Traitors here." The guard shoots an ugly glare at Riven.

"I'm shopping here for the both of us." I flash my badge. "Plat, season 4."

"Listen here-" I interrupt him, grabbing his neck and quickly brandishing my spellbook. "No, YOU listen to ME."

"You're going to let us in. I'm paying double for the inconvenience."

"I refuse." He manages to choke out enough of his slobber to spit the ground at our feet.

I lean in closer. "I have enough rank here to get you expelled from the military. I will make sure you are blacklisted at even the low-class places in the Bronze district." I stare him directly in the eyes. "Let. Us. In. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes sir!" The shopkeeper runs inside after I cast a few lightning spells for good measure.

"There. Now find yourself something nice. I'm buying."

Riven chuckles. "Pretty fierce for a support main."

"I played AP Lulu and Annie support."

"... Maybe you're a Noxian after all." Riven smiles and struts inside. I think she's getting a kick out of being able to walk into a shop like this for the first time in forever. That's good. This is going well. We manage to find an outfit she likes. A few minutes in the changing room and she's out. Clad in traditional browns and greens, with the remains of her old armor attached, Riven's new outfit gave her a bit of a "Commando" look while still maintaining her original style. The military dress was form-fitting but still baggy. Riven moves side-to-side a couple times to test it out. "I like it!" she finally confirms.

"You look like the Demacian Special Forces. Seems fitting for traitorous scum."

"... let's leave, Riven."

We spend the rest of the day catching what sights we could get in Noxus (If you get too far up, sometimes you'll breathe in Zaunite toxins.) Nothing too spectacular, but Riven always seems to smile a little every time I strong-arm our way into an establishment.

I end the day with a small dinner prepared in our apartment. A couple of steaks, tasty, but not too filling. I still have more plans for Riven, though.

I stand up when she does and walk behind her as she goes towards the bathroom. "Here's where I would normally say goodnight, but..." I hesitate, for only a moment, and then grab one of her breasts from behind. "... I hope you remember what I promised to do after every date." Riven turns around to face me.

"I do." Riven reaches out to my collar and drags us into the bedroom. Pinning me against the wall, Riven quickly exposes my cock and then bumps her chest against it. Unbuttoning her blouse, she lets her tits bounce the rod around a couple times before completely deep-throating it. There isn't the teasing or foreplay she treated me to last night. This time she relentlessly forces me to surrender my seed. I manage to last several minutes before falling on my back as Riven pumps me for every drop she can possibly squeeze out in the same manner as she did last tine.

I manage to force myself to get up. "No, sto-AHH! I said I was going to fuck you tonight!"

Riven smirks at me and answers sarcastically. "Go ahead and take me, if you can manage to get it up again after this." I start to arch my back and moan as she renews her attack. Swallowing me up with her breasts, she roughly kneads them against my rod. The semen acted as a lubricant, doubling the pleasure as she slid her skin against my cock. Once again I'm quickly brought to another climax. She milks me again until I'm spent. This time, however, I'm too exhausted to continue.

"Looks like you can't back up your big talk, little guy." Riven teases me.

"... Clever. You did that knowing I couldn't keep it up afterwards." I cover my face with an arm. How embarrassing. "Is every date going to end up like this?"

"Of course. If I have a way of getting out of something I don't want to do, I'll take it. You still have a lot of growing up to do." Riven walks out of the room. "At least you're being honest now about me. I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, I laid in bed alone with my thoughts and shame until sleep took over me.


	6. Chapter 6: Bad Omens

Hi everyone! These chapters are still a little jumbled. They are in chronological order, but I'm trying to organize the smutty stuff away into their own chapters so that those of you who have little taste for that can skip them and (hopefully) enjoy the actual meat of the story that I am writing here.

As always, please enjoy!

* * *

Another day, another nightmare. I'm standing alone in the streets of Noxus. As I said, I've been lucid dreaming like this ever since I paid that nasty visit to Shurima. It's only been recently that I've been able to experience them so... vividly. For once, this dream seems to be more tame than the others. I'm sure that my sanity would quickly slip if I had to see Riven killed in such a way every single night. I start walking and see the girls walking home together from the Debonair. I can only make out bits and pieces of their conversation, but they seem to be talking about how scary it is without Riven around. They also mentioned my absence tonight as well. I would be surprised, but I usually spend time after my shift talking to them (in an effort to get closer to Riven, of course). It would make sense that they would find it weird that I don't show up, perhaps they see me as a friend as well.

I walk up to them, raising my hand in order to greet them. Maybe, since I can move around in these dreams, they will react to me. Oh, they reacted all right. Looks of sheer terror, they run away screaming. I'm confused, I continue to chase them. I shout "What's wrong!? Is there something on my face!?" I only realize why they are so scared when I manage to catch up to one of them in the back. When I reach out my hand to grab her, an eldritch appendage lashes out instead, slicing her in half. The others get away, and I am left there, my mind inside of this voidling's body, as I watch it tear and devour one of my coworkers.

* * *

"AUGH!" I jolt out of my sleep, rolling myself off the bed and into a pile of tomes that I keep at my bedside. The pain is there, but it's far preferable to the nightmare that I was just subjected to. I definitely can't go to sleep after that. I slowly sneak out of my room, and creep down the hall. Fortunately, the place is expensive, and so the floors don't creak or anything. There is no danger of me waking up Riven. I enter my small living room, and there she is sleeping on the couch. This is where I would probably spend a bit admiring her, but I'm still reeling from the terror that I just witnessed. Being as quiet as I can, I sneak out of my apartment and onto the streets, where I plan to spend my time until morning. I can't risk going back to sleep and returning to that nightmare.

Hmm, 2:30 AM. This is when the Debonair usually finishes closing up and everyone goes home from their shifts. 2:30 AM is also a great time to get robbed. I ready my Frost Tome, partially out of practicality, but if I'm going to be honest, mostly out of anxiety. I take a deep breath. "It's only a dream. That won't actually happen. The Void is just trying to take away my sanity." I stretch a few times and meditate there, leaning against the lamp post on the sidewalk in front of my apartment. Narrowing my eyes, I scan each alleyway and every door as I lurk around at night. There are a few others around doing the same as I am. We have the sense to avoid each other, and the other man runs across the street. I get a good look at his face. "Is that one of the cleaners from the Debonair?" I think. Perhaps it's a coincidence.

Then I hear something eerie. A disgusting sense of Deja-Vu settles in me as I hear female voices gossiping about Riven and I both being absent from work tonight. It's the showgirls from the Debonair. The man running away from me raises his hand to greet them, and that's when I see it-

In a matter of seconds, his body lurches and expands. His entire body becomes more muscular, and his right arm splits into a writhing mass of tentacles, each tipped with a goey, bloody, purple blade made of transformed flesh. His remaining hand and feet elongate into clawed appendages, and he starts to run after the girls. I hear their blood-curdling screams as my eye- the body part that was corrupted the most when I ventured into Itcathia- pulses and sends a sharp signal of pain throughout my entire body. I almost lose my balance reeling from the pain coupled with my general exhaustion, watching the girls get hunted down while I am powerless to help them. At least for the moment.

After I steady myself, I immediately grasp the situation and spring into action. While I have little to no experience fighting on my own, I do have enough combat sense from my time fighting on the Rift to take this monster down. Well, I hope so. Flipping open the page I manage to force out a short incantation through my hurried breathing, and fling an Ice Bolt at the voidling creature. A good hit, but it does not slow down. I don't think it even noticed me. It starts to catch up to one of the girls in the back, and I remember my nightmare. I know what's coming. I stop in place and desperately conjure the most powerful quickened-spell that I could think of and dash forward, an Ignite in my left palm.

I'm too late.

The monster splits her body down the middle and immediately begins to feast before I burn it with my spell. In some sort of blind rage, I keep slinging spell after spell at the voidling, until we both fall over. I'm exhausted, and he's... not dead!? The creature gets up and, with the few tentacles that are not too charred and melted, slowly crawls towards me. I hear a myriad of voices, not unlike Malzahar's speaking in tongues, and the volume increases the closer the voidling gets to me. It's not opening it's mouth, it's making no sound, but I can hear it. It's horrible. I grip my head and fall over again as the pain spreads from my eye to my body again in continuous waves. This time I'm not able to get up. This would be the end of the line for me, but you're reading my journal of these events that was written after everything ended, so you know I'm going to be fine.

A single strike splits the creature in much the same way it murdered the woman not much earlier. It's Riven. She looks down on me with an expression that mixed anger, pity, contempt, and just a small hint of concern. After the voices in my head subside, I slowly get up and hold a lamp post to steady myself. "... thank you, I was sure I was going to die there."

"How is a Platinum summoner so weak? I already know your stamina is pathetic, but this is just plain disgusting." She leans in at me while I try to avoid eye contact. "I take back the nice things I said on our date yesterday. You're a complete shitter." Cleaning her sword and hoisting it over her head, she starts to walk away without waiting for me. After standing there awkwardly for awhile, I slowly move after her.

I bow my head in silence and follow her back to the apartment. We don't speak another word to each other in the meantime. What happened to the bodies? We left them there. Murders are common enough in Noxus that it'll just be cleaned up the next morning. Usually people just shrug and go about their day. "Another weakling is weeded out by the strong" is the normal eulogy for deaths such as these.

After I get back in bed. I'm too exhausted to leave again to participate in League activities today. I call the day off and sleep, enduring yet another generic nightmare. They're commonplace enough that I will myself into enduring it in the interest of well deserved rest.

* * *

I'm awakened by a hard knock at the door. Stumbling out of bed, I manage to clothe myself and make my way out to the living room. Riven isn't there. I open it with a tired sounding "What is it?"

"You are the summoner, Gin? Is that correct?"

"Yes, that's me. I already called the League and told them that-"

"I'm not from the League. I come here on behalf of the Noxian Government."

"For fraternizing and providing extended housing to the Exile, Riven, in addition to abusing your position of power to allow her to use services that she is blacklisted for, you are hereby similarly banished from all establishments in Noxus and stripped of the benefits that are given to you due to your talent as a summoner." The man leans in closer. "Enjoy your life on the streets, traitorous scum."

"... What!?"


	7. Chapter 7: Eye of the Void

Based on my traffic graphs so far, my story seems to be gaining some readership. This is very motivating! As always, please enjoy this next chapter!

There might not be another one tomorrow, as I will be preparing for something I've planned for this weekend. Look forward to the chapter after this one! Things are getting good, I promise!

* * *

They didn't give me long to gather my things. I barely managed to grab the container for that old poster of Riven before the police came in and threw me out. I would have liked to resist, but I'd rather be homeless than murdered. People who are killed by police generally disappear without any repercussions to the damn pigs. After last night, I've had enough of seeing blood for a very long time. Standing out on the curb, I watch as the policemen tear up and throw out my belongings into a nearby dumpster. They seemed to have disposed of them in such a way that I can't recover anything. After a bit, I start to see Riven's exercise equipment being tossed through the 3rd story window. A ball of guilt wells up in my chest. I don't know how they found out I was harboring her, but now I've gotten punished for it and what little possessions Riven had are now all gone. This is my fault. Not that that helps anything. I'm still powerless to stop what's happening in front of me. Riven runs up behind me and stares blankly at the scene in front of us. Just like last night, I can't even look at her.

"Someone probably noticed us walking together into your apartment. Why didn't you let me walk away before moving on your own!?" Riven's anger is like choking pollution to me. I don't dare open my mouth. "Now all my shit's gone! And I have to go back to dancing in that fucking Bunny Suit!" A right hook from her sends me crashing into the ground. My ears are ringing, my eyes are spinning, but I can still hear her yell. "I regret ever coming home with you!" A kick to the groin. "Fuck!" I choke back tears. Riven's using all of her strength to channel her rage and disappointment into my body. "I hope I don't see you again, dumbass." With that, Riven storms off. What points I scored with her are gone. As I lay there at the side of the road, the policemen stride over and give me a few kicks and beat me with their batons for good measure. Eventually they walk away too, and I am left there with just my shame and the poster, not that that sheet of paper matters now. Riven hates me. I'm to be treated as someone lower than Bronze now. Life is hell.

I manage to make my way back to the League's Embassy before I get harassed again. I make my way through slowly, sneaking around corners and hiding behind columns. Finally I'm back inside my plain office. Just the summoner's orb and gray brick walls. I gently place the tube beside my chair. I considered throwing it out, after that scene with Riven, but I decided that I should keep it. It might be a collector's item... at least I tell that to myself. I was probably looking for an excuse not to get rid of it. Despite what happened, my feelings for Riven are about the same. It's not her fault that that happened. Knowing that nothing else awaits me outside of this room, I focus all my energy into the Orb and take on assignment after assignment.

I lost all my games that day.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Members in the High Command sit at a round table. Their attention is completely focused on Jericho Swain, who is presiding over their meeting. From the shadows, a hooded figure appears behind the General, and whispers into his ear. "Riven has once again been thrown out onto the streets. We've distributed pamphlets to every business in NoxDemacia. They know that the summoner who was harboring her is similarly blacklisted like she is." Swain's eyes do not move, but one could tell that a small smirk must have formed under his mask. "Good. Thank you, Talon." The assassin bows and fades back into the shadows, but not without adding, "I'll make sure he suffers." The General chuckles, "Do what you want. That is all."

As Talon leaves the room, Swain once again regards the High Command. "How goes our preparations?" he demands. A man speaks up immediately. "We have scouted the Demacian side of the Gate. There are guards there, but no one of caliber to stop us." A woman interjects the man before he speaks any further, "Sion has been successfully transported to the city without altering anyone. There were some casualties, but this is not a thing that matters, of course." Swain's eyes narrow. "What of the League? You say that they will not intervene this time. I will not have that city become another Kalamanda. It is difficult enough to take what is ours without those summoners interfering with their Ancient Magics." The meeting falls silent. A few of them look away to the far corner of the room, expectantly. "I can answer that question for you, Grand General". A set of Glyphs and glitter fill the air as a scantily clad woman breaks her invisibility and makes her presence known. "The Black Rose will make sure that the League will have more important matters to attend to when you make your assault." Swain glares sharply at LeBlanc. "What are the details?" he demands."I will tell you now that I am not the fool that Darkwill was." The mage chuckles and states matter-of-factly, "We will release a couple of the Void's creatures from their restraints in the League's Cells. My organization has plenty of summoners working there. They will not have any time to respond to you while they have to answer to the monsters loose in their halls." Swain leans back and maps out the situation in his head. Eventually the Tactician nods. "That seems to be very effective. What does the Black Rose desire in return?"

LeBlanc struts forward into the middle of the circular table at the center of the room. Leaning over ever so slightly and squeezing her breasts together, she speaks with a seductive purr. "I would like access to some of the dark magics that I hear are hidden in the study of the Grand General." Swain's eyes lock with hers, he is unfazed by her sexual display. "I will accompany you, as will Talon and Katarina. If you try to take or look at more than you are allowed, I guarantee your life will end in that room." LeBlanc chuckles, "Of course. So, do we have a deal?" Swain silently nods to answer her. The deal is set, and the meeting is adjourned.

* * *

I'm walking home from my horrible day on the job. My plays were bad, I was bad, everything is bad right now. I almost walk back home but I realize that I don't have a home anymore. Walking into an alleyway, I manage to find a cardboard box. It's not much, but I can pretend it's a bed if I try really, really hard. Eventually I end up in the Bronze slums. Even the places here won't take me in. This blacklist is extremely thorough. There is even a picture of me in several of the businesses so that they know not to allow me in. Finally, the crowds thin on the edge of the city and I find a place to sleep. I lean against the wall and blanket myself with the cardboard box. I shiver. The cold of the night, something that I did not have to worry about for these past few months, coils around me. This would have made me uncomfortable, if I didn't already have the pain of the multiple beatings I suffered today numbing my entire body. Closing my eyes, I try to fend off these sensations and drift into sleep...

I'm awoken by solid kick to my head. Great, someone found me. "Get up, scum", the voice demands. "Sorry, I'll move someplace else if you don't want me here."

"You're right where I want you!" Before I could inquire further, I receive a few more kicks before I hear the familiar sound of knives being sharpened on each other. Forcing myself into action, I jump away from the masked man, a spell at the ready. "What do you want with me!?" I demand. "I'm just a homeless Bronzie, fuck off!"

"Summoner Gin. Recently blacklisted and branded as an Exile to the Noxian government. I'm here to kill you." The man brandishes more knives, holding them between his knuckles. Immediately after declaring his killing intent, my left eye pulses and fills my entire head with pain. I get a vision. I see the masked assassin charge me, and with a deft horizontal slice, my neck is torn open. I'm left there lying on the ground to bleed out as the man walks out of the alleyway laughing. "Shit!" The vision lasted mere seconds before I jump back, narrowly avoiding the lethal attack. I launch the spell I had readied at him, but he dodges it easily.

"Who are you!?" I ask. I clutch my head again as another vision flickers through my mind. This time, I see the back of the man assaulting me, as a sharp, purple claw lashes out, slicing him in half. Before I could process what I saw I shouted "BEHIND YOU!" The man narrowly avoids certain death as a partially transformed human slowly turns into a full Void beast! This is the same thing I saw last night. How, and why is this happening!? The man dashes to my side, blades at the ready. "... I'll spare your life tonight. It seems you just saved mine." I glare at him. "I didn't do it on purpose." Suddenly, the man fades from my vision, as if he willed himself to turn invisible. Once again, I am alone against a monster out in the middle of the night. This time, Riven won't be around to save me. She's probably dancing away at the Debonair right now. Readying another spell, I narrowly dodge two more slashes from the Voidling before retaliating. A ray of frost cleanly hits both of its feet, coagulating and solidifying the filth of the ground around its legs. This is my chance to run! Turning around and running away, I steal several glances of the monster struggling to break free before I manage to get back to the main part of the slums. I sprint until my exhaustion overcomes me, and I almost collapse right there in the middle of the street. Another vision alerts me to an oncoming wagon and I narrowly escape death for what seems like the 3rd or 4th time this night. Hopefully, I managed to escape the monster. Nah, that would be too convenient, huh!? Shrill profanities and blood-curdling screams fill the air as I see the people around me being slaughtered by the oncoming Void creature. Unable to run, I stare it down, mandibles clicking, and grit my teeth as myriad voices once again fill my head. Then they go silent again. Another vision. I see deep purple, and then a greenish black. Buildings and makeshift houses come into view as the image becomes clearer. I'm behind the monster, who is promptly sliced in half with a blade made of eldritch energies. Gripping my eye in pain, the sensation of water falling on me almost escapes my notice. I look up to see my would-be-killer bisected and gushing purple blood and green ooze. Between the two halves stands a familiar person. Kassadin.

Without waiting for me to respond, he takes my hand and commands me to go with him. He pulls me through a Voidwalk. Bright purples and blacks litter what seems to be a tunnel, pulling Kassadin and I through, until we emerge at the neon green end of the tunnel. We're inside the Halls of Justice, in Southern Valoran. A gathering of summoners immediately place an anti-magic set of cuffs on my writs and ankles, binding them together. A nice side effect is that my eye no longer seems to be hurting. The pain quickly subsides. "You need to be contained!" says the leader of the summoners. "You're acting as a conduit for Void energy! Several people have turned into monsters because of your carelessness!" I'm quickly taken away into a holding cell. I'm thrown against the wall and the summoners quickly back away from me and magically seal the door.

Left to my own devices, what they said starts to click in my head. The monsters, the visions, everything starts to snap together, like a puzzle. The Void is somehow using my body to infect others. It's like a disease. Furthermore, the "power" that Kassadin mentioned also becomes clear. I can see glimpses of the future, but they all seem to be images of death. How morbid... fuck! That means Riven is going to die inside of the Debonair soon! I have to get out! I rush to the door and start to shout. "HEY! Is anybody out there! I need to tell you something! Something horrible is going to happen in Noxus! You have to believe me!" No answer. Whoever dropped me off here is long gone. That isn't too unreasonable. However... there might be one person who would still be here. "...Kassadin!" Still no answer. I try a few more times. I have to. What if tonight is the night that Riven is going to die!?

"Kassadin!"

"Kassadin!"

"Dammit!"

"KASSADIN!"

"What do you want, summoner?" Kassadin's voice comes from behind me. I spin around to him. Obviously he riftwalked into my cell. "Kass, my visions, my void power, I figured it all out!" Kassadin nods, "I see." I get on my knees and start pleading to him "But you have to get me out of here! Riven, no, Noxus might be in trouble!" Kassadin shakes his head. "I cannot do what you ask. You are too much of a danger to everyone around you." The Armies of the Void are going to be released in Noxus!" The Voidwalker's eyes widen in surprise. "... Tell me everything."

* * *

I tried to be as brief as I could, but explaining my left eye, the transformations, everything took at least half an hour. Kassadin finally speaks after nodding for that entire explanation. "It is good that you realized these things, but releasing you may have more risk than reward. What if you are the reason why the Void emerges in Noxus with such overwhelming power that even Riven is killed?" A fair point. I sit down on my bed and think of a good reason. "...Without me, you have no idea where exactly this is going to happen. My vision of the Debonair is from the middle of this supposed apocalypse. I understand your concerns, but our best bet is to gamble on me having another useful dream or vision. In this cell, I'm blocked from all magic, no visions, no chance of victory." Some minutes pass and eventually Kassadin relents. "What you say makes sense. Take my hand, we're going back to Noxus."


	8. Chapter 8: The Nightmare is Real

Hi everyone! Trying to get this chapter out before tomorrow! I'm not going to be home much for the next few days so you all might not be getting many more chapters! Even so, please be patient and look forward to more content! As always, enjoy.

P.S. I'm really sorry about the cliffhangers! Really, I am! I will get chapter 9 out ASAP! And hopefully I'll get out of the habit of having to go to work before I resolve the chapter I'm writing!

* * *

Kassadin leaves the cell with me in tow. In the shadows, a Summoner speaks into a small Communication orb. "Kassadin is gone. Release the wards." After giving the signal, the summoner quickly dashes as fast as he can to the teleportation pad, managing to leave mere seconds before being incinerated by a blast from a newly freed Vel'Koz. The sigils are destroyed and no longer usable. While the void creatures can't follow this one man, they all laugh maniacally together. They are free from their prisons. The world is their oyster. Malzahar clutches his sides and howls. "All is as was predicted! Tonight we will destroy the Halls of Justice!" Each of the Void's champions clamor to enter one of Malz's portals. Each one leads to a different part of Valoran. When a portal to Noxus opens and Kog'Maw tries to waddle through, Cho'Gath deftly picks it up with his small claws and sets him aside. "I will go to Noxus." Cho declares. "There is a summoner there that I want to eat. I want to see his face as I destroy everything and everyone that ever mattered to him." Kog'Maw seems to understand, though his normal slobbering and guttural utterances do not attest to this. Cho goes through his portal, leaving Kog and Malz together in the cells. The Void Mage cackles. "Let us go, Kog'Maw. Our Lord demands it!" Melting doors and barriers alike with his digestive fluid, the two Champions make short work of decimating the Halls of Justice.

* * *

I step out of the Void walk and onto a familiar street in Noxus to the tune of war horns blowing. Kass and I run in the direction of the noise to witness several Platoons of Noxian soldiers storm the NoxDemacian Gate. At the front, an undead monstrosity makes short work of the Demacian guards. They break through. I can hear cheering and patriotic cries for blood as the troops follow the hulking man through the gate onto Demacian soil. After taking a closer look at him, I finally recognize him. He's an ancient war hero. At one time, his memorial was open to the public. Nowadays, it is expressly forbidden to even go near it. "Sion..." I stand there in awe of his overwhelming power. "The High Command... they brought him back from the dead!?" Kassadin responds with a disgusted growl. "I do not know why Noxians have to be so disgraceful. Let the dead rest. That man has fought enough battles." Upon closer inspection, I see many of our own soldiers dead, beaten into the ground and split with the axe of the Son of Noxus. "... I can't help but agree with you, but no more insulting Noxians, please. I am a bit patriotic myself." Kassadin tilts his head at me. "You don't seem to be that way, based on how they've treated you around here." I grit my teeth, remembering the policemen, remembering the Bronze Quarter... remembering Riven. "...Touche", I finally say in response.

"I find it odd. Why hasn't the League intervened?" Kassadin wonders aloud. "There's an embassy right here in the city. They should have responded right now. This isn't just a skirmish for some plot of land in the middle of nowhere. This is an act of war!" He's right. Where **is** the League!? It is at this time that my eye responds. Kassadin notices the vision happen as Void energy ripples from my head through my body. It's still as painful as it was before, but now that I know what it is, I tolerate it better than I did earlier. A horrid image unfolds in front of me. All forces at the gates, both Noxian and Demacian, are being slaughtered... by a seemingly endless wave of Voidlings! Cho'Gath is at the head of what could only be called a small army as he engages Sion on his own. The vision ends and I fall to the ground, screaming in pain. "What did you see!?" Kassadin demands. "Hurry! Get everyone away from the gates!" I get up and point towards the battle that is unfolding in front of us. "A portal to the void is going to ope-" before I could even finish my sentence bright, purple, portals open up at the gates, and voidlings start to pour out. A significantly larger one opens up right in front of Sion, and an explosion of energy quickly follows. Sion is merely knocked back a few feet, but the lesser soldiers around him scream and tear at their skulls as they are transformed into Void creatures themselves. These creatures each have an oversized head and an impressive set of mandibles. They immediately attempt to swarm and devour the Juggernaut, only to be blown away by his magical shield. In the wake of the eldritch blast, a huge Void Creature emerges from the largest portal, which immediately closes afterwards. It's Cho'Gath. He crooks his head towards Sion, who immediately rushes him. Cho released a Feral Scream, but this does nothing to halt his movement. The two giants clash, Cho's claws digging into the massive zombie, the Noxian's cold, undead hands crushing the Void Champion's flesh. The amount of blood that is shed by just these two is nothing short of unrealistic.

"Kass! What do we do!?" The Voidwalker summons two blades at the tops of his wrists and generates a purple sphere in his hand. He shoots it at me. For a few seconds, I feel my powers grow eerily small. It is as if mana didn't exist. At the very least, I couldn't feel it. Pain swells in my chest and I start to return to my normal senses. However, the pulsing in my left eye has stopped. "I... I don't know whether I should thank you." I say nervously. "So **that **is what a silence feels like!"Kassadin chuckles. "I had a hunch that you were feeling so much pain because all of your energy is inside your eye. I disrupted it temporarily so I can do this." Kass grips my head with both hands and fills my body with Void energy. It's overwhelming. I can't hold back my tears as I feel like I'm about to explode. After he releases me, I feel an odd swell of power throughout my body. Choking out blood, I manage to utter a "What the fuck-" before my vision goes deep blue. The world seems to advance in slow motion as an image of my back flickers through my mind. Turning around, I see a monster slowly coming at me with its sharp claws. I move out of the way, and following another image where the Voidling is decapitated by a powerful blow, strike it at the neck with a karate chop. The world flashes back to normal colors as an arcane explosion emanates from my hand, tearing through the carapace of my enemy.

"... oh." I turn to Kassadin. "Did I do that? And uh, thank you!?" I place my hands on my hips and laugh triumphantly, unsure of what I did and how I did it. I'll take what I can get, though. Better than being dead. "You can't teleport like I can, but that speed is impressive", Kassadin nods approvingly. "Even better, it seems the void energy has stabilized inside your body. You don't have nearly as much of its taint as I do, so don't worry about turning purple." Realizing this, I exhale, relieved. "If that hadn't worked, I would have had to keep you beside me to make sure you don't accidentally turn people into Void soldiers. Anyways, I'm going." Kass voidwalks a short distance away before I start to run after him. "Wait! but what about me!" Kassadin chuckles and turns to me. "Isn't there a woman you were so worried about not too long ago?" That's right! Riven! I'm really far from the Debonair. I can't waste a single moment. Running off in the opposite direction of the Voidwalker, we exchange "good luck"s to our respective quests.

I hope I'm in time.

* * *

It's another exhausting night at the Debonair. I'm back in this Bunny Suit and I'm homeless again. Fuck, Gin, too. I'm glad I was able to give him a good beating for wasting so much of my life. It's too bad that he was really cool, too. Seemed like a decent guy, but he's a weak idiot with no... stamina. He didn't show up tonight either. Probably too chicken-shit to face me again after what happened. Serves him right. My tip jar gets filled again, and I'm forced to work the pole one more time. If only influence points were harder to come by. I had better get a bigger jar somehow. Making my way onto the stage I scan the clientele. The usual leers, as expected. I do my usual routine, just shake my assets around a little, and they go nuts. I hope that maybe someday I can stop living like this for good, and become a respected citizen of Noxus for the first time in years. That's obviously a pipe dream. The High Command has branded me a pariah using their control of the media. Nothing short of a miracle can reduce the damage they've dealt to my public image.

"Hi, Riven! I'm glad you decided to come back!" one of the other showgirls approaches me after the performance. She's very happy that I returned to this job. Business was actually down by a large margin last night due to my absence. "Say, have you seen Gin anywhere? I wonder what happened to him. Weren't you two uh... living together?" the woman has a lewd expression as she asks this, the insinuation is obvious. "... I don't want to talk about that bastard. Let me say this, though. I have no interest in him. He has no chance with me. Are we clear?" The woman giggles "Guess this boy toy didn't cut it this time either, huh?" I shout at her, "I **don't **want to talk about it! Are we clear!?" The girl raises her hands defensively "Yeah, yeah. Sorry about that." The conversation ends awkwardly. It seems like she wants to talk about other things, but doesn't want to upset me again. Smart. The usual atmosphere of the Debonair continues for a while. My tip jar is half-way full again when someone rushes in from outside and starts screaming as loud as he can. "They're storming the Gate! The army's really giving it to those Demacian bastards!" What? A night raid? That's incredibly odd. The League will most certainly show up and stop this. Almost immediately, people start to leave to see what the commotion is about, only for them to quickly run off screaming. My intuition tells me to run into the back as I get my sword. There's a peculiar skittering I can just barely hear from outside. Suddenly, Voidlings start to pour into the Debonair from all directions. They even break a few windows. A couple people are caught in the wave. The creatures easily crush their bodies. The Summoners in the bar manage to fight them off, and stop their advance at the front of the stage. We have the high ground, good.

"Everyone wait in the back! I'll take care of this!" I grab my sword from my locker, along with the bag that is filled with the Rune Blade's broken shards. I spend a minute to meditate, and the blade resonates in my hand with a gentle hum. I'm ready. Rushing out in front of the Summoners, I unleash a flurry of attacks at the enemy, decimating their formation with my broken wings technique. With a satisfying *crack* my ki energy overflows on the third strike, knocking up several Voidlings into the air. They're defenseless. The men see their chance and each unleash a Smite, evaporating them into white light. One of the monsters lunges at me, claws at the ready. I don't hesitate and dash right into it. Immediately, the Runic Shards form a protective barrier around me, blocking the attack. I decapitate the bastard and use my Broken Wings to quickly make my way back to the stage. "Good job! Let's keep it up!" and various other congratulations could be heard from the summoners as I turn forward on stage and analyze the situation. We managed to kill so many, but they keep coming. In fact, some of the Voidlings seem to be... growing. I grit my teeth and tighten my grip on my sword.

"This could be bad."

* * *

I'm really starting to get annoyed. Every time I turn a corner, the world turns blue, I get another vision, and another Voidling is there after my life. Sure, I'm still getting used to these powers. I'm thankful for them, I swear! In fact, they're very convenient, but how am I managing to get caught off guard so often!? I try to calm my nerves and think as soon as I find a place that is less infested with the Void creatures. Steadying my breathing, I try to find a commonality... and I've got it! Each time, they're bursting out of a window, or jumping off a rooftop! All I have to do is find an open area! That's easy, I'll just run in the middle of the street.

Minutes Later...

"I'm a complete idiot". Surrounded by voidlings on all sides, I try to inch my way closer and closer to the Debonair while dealing with this swarm of 20+ voidlings. They lunge in unison, fangs and claws all aiming for my life. I dash through them as the world goes slo-mo again. Good, I can keep covering more ground like this. I unleash two arcs of lightning from my palms, melting the carapace of several of the enemies in front of me, and break their line. The bar is close, I recognize this street. I charge another spell as survey the damage that has been done to the city. Lots of broken windows and blood, but no structural damage. For a Voidling assault, there is less damage to infrastructure than I saw in my dreams. Once again, though, I fucking jinx myself with talk like that. All the Voidlings suddenly increase in size and speed. Doors and walls alike are crushed as the newly grown monsters scuttle towards me. The fireball I prepared is fully charged, but I don't think it's enough to clear the area ahead. Dancing among the enemies around me, I begin to overcharge the spell. The ball of white light starts to vibrate and then rumble. Suddenly I sustain a blow to my left arm. Reeling from the pain, I almost insert the Fireball into my body as my reflexes tell me to hurry up and put pressure on the wound. Wasn't I supposed to get a vision every time something is about to hit me!? It seems as if I understood the benefits of this Void power I've gotten a hold of. No time to think, though, this situation is getting worse. I open my hand in front of me and the fireball launches with a grinding scream, traveling until it hits the outer wall of the Debonair. I manage to make my way through the scattered carcasses left in my spell's wake. Suddenly, a mass of spiked tentacles burst from the ground and knock me into the air. I notice the attack immediately.

"Cho'Gath!" I ready two spells in each of my hands and turn to face him. "You time has come, Summoner! Would you like to spend dinner with me one last time!?" Cho laughs, slapping his bloodied claws together. Turning to Feast a Voidling beside him, the Terror of the Void grows in size and stamina. I can see the wounds he sustained being repaired before my eyes. "I would love to spend some quality time with you, but I have more pressing issues!" I fire two ice bolts at Cho's feet. A well-timed Feral Scream dissipates the magic in the air. My spells fizzle. At the same time, Cho stomps his foot and I can feel the earth move below me as another Rupture starts to swell below my position. Rolling out of the way, I narrowly dodge it. "Damn you!" I cough up some blood and ready two more spells, when suddenly a giant man, now only a tiny bit smaller than Cho, bull rushes him from behind. "Blood for Noxus!" Sion screams as he raises his axe and deals a satisfying blow to Cho while he is still recovering from the attack. The Void Champion has no choice but to turn his attentions away from me. Looking to my objective, the now burning Debonair, I recognize an image identical to my dream from a couple nights before.

"No... NO!"

Without any concern for my life, I charge into the burning wreckage of the bar. Anxiety taking hold in my mind, I ready a single Heal spell for good measure.

* * *

The Voidlings are quickly breaking our defensive line. A few Summoners, exhausted from the fighting, lose focus and receive a swift, painful death from the empowered enemies. Things are looking bleak enough when a massive explosion of fire blows away the front of the bar. Sure, a good amount of the Voidlings have been damaged by it, but now the Debonair has started to burn down. "Even if we hold them off, we need to get out, or else this building will be our grave!" I can see the brows furrow on the men beside me as they strain their minds to think of a solution to our situation. Smoke obscures the outside of the Debonair, and more of the crab-like monsters crawl in through the new opening. "I can't see outside!" One of the showgirls yells from the back, "We can unlock the door in the back!" I can feel the earth ripple a little outside. Whatever is out there, it's massive. I might be able to outrun it, but the others...

"It's our only chance! Everyone fall back." I give the command to the Summoners and cover their retreat. I slice one of the support beams to cover myself as I turn my back and the stripper pole too, because I hate that fucking thing. The roof comes down in the middle of the stage, burning hot enough to repel the Voidlings. Good, this might be our chance. I run as fast as I can to the back, and meet up with the remaining summoners and other employees. "Okay! I'm opening the door, everyone!" Grabbing the handle, I unlock the metal exit and a mass of tentacles slithers through the opening, almost pulling me through. "Shit!" A large, tentacled monster shambles into the door. From what I can tell, this thing used to be human. I ready my sword and focus my Ki into it. The shards respond immediately, and assemble to form the original size and shape of the Rune Blade. "Kiyaaaaah!" My wind slash makes short work of the Void Beast. At least, it should have. The creature stands there, unfazed by the attack, and launches a mass of tentacles at me. I sustain some wounds but one of them manages to drill into my stomach. I try to pull back but I am jerked forward by the tentacles, gripping my wrists. I feel a sharp pain in my lower body as the appendage continues to penetrate my insides. Coughing up blood, I hear the makeshift barrier outside being torn apart. This is it, I'm going to die here. Others around me have already seemed to have gone ahead. They were taken off-guard by Voidlings who crawled through the wreckage. Closing my eyes, I try to block out the sensations as my consciousness fails me...


	9. Chapter 9: The Beginning of the End

Hi there! I've noticed that the percentage of you who decided to read this far is quite low. I know there isn't sexual content right now, and there might not be for a little bit, but please bear with me. Rather, thank you for spending the time to read my story. I really appreciate it. Anyways, here's the next chapter! Look forward to the next one!

* * *

Smoke fills my eyes and throat as I force myself into the Debonair. I easily ignore the searing pain of the fire and the falling debris, relentlessly pushing myself until either my body breaks or I get to the back, where Riven definitely is. I think about the speed I displayed several times earlier ever since Kassadin did... something to the void powers latent inside my body. I need that speed now. Without it, I'll be too late. Of that I am sure. "Dammit! Dammit, dammit!" I spit out the blood pooling in my mouth as another piece of flaming wreckage falls onto my neck. I stumble to the ground and look up to the collapsed ceiling at the front of the stage. How am I going to get past that!? In a fit of rage, I get up and swing my fist into one of the support beams inside the building. The room promptly falls in on top of me... and there it is! The world is in slow motion again! I smirk triumphantly through the pain as I move safely out of the way of the falling wood and concrete. I'm not sure what I did, but I'll take any help I can get. Continuing to advance through the room, I mutter to myself. "Shit, I would have died there. I've got to be careful." Wait...

"... I could have died there!"

Something in my head clicks. Either this is an act of suicide, or a lucky hunch. I'm betting on the latter. Firing a bolt of magic above me, I invite another wave of debris and fire and death. Once again, I manage to speed up and cover even more ground, readying another spell. It's working. If I make enough situations where I face certain death I might be able to get to Riven in time! At least, lethal damage seems to be the trigger for my Void Powers activating. I must be really fragile considering there were so many triggers to it on my way over here. Shooting an Overloaded Iceball at the barricade, I blast it out of the way. I make sure that I am dangerously close to the explosion. Another success! Time slows down and I deftly move into and through the arcane explosion, readying a second Heal spell. With this and the spell I readied earlier, I should be able to heal both Riven and myself... assuming she's still alive. The cool air generated by my magic manages to blow away the thick smoke enough for me to get a good view of the back. I see several summoners and showgirls. All of them are dead. I rush past them, following the bloody footprints of what is unmistakably Voidlings. I'm so close. I have to be in time.

"Riven!"

I burst through the doors of the locker room and into the mass of Voidlings. Riven's in the back, and some sort of weird, human looking Void Monster is pulling her in with his tentacles. This is just like the one from the other day, though this one is bigger, and has more appendages. Ignoring the creatures feeding on the dead bodies clumped against the wall, I bullrush the Void Monster. It turns to me, and tries to fire a barrage of bladed arms in my direction. Big mistake. I can feel the Void Magic in my body resonate through my left eye as the world once again turns blue. I dive under the tentacles and place my hands on Riven. I unload one of my heal spells into her. Both the spells and the slo-mo resolve and I use my hand to tear out the tentacle that seems to have been drilling into her stomach. Blood gushes from the wound. I place my other palm on the hole and unleash my Overloaded Heal. It doesn't fully recover her, but at least I stopped the bleeding. I wrap my arms around her and hold her tight. A feeling of happiness and accomplishment swell in my chest. I did it! I saved her! The exhalation doesn't last for long, though. Tentacles lash at my back, tearing gaping wounds. The Voidlings all finish their meals and turn to me as well. Like Cho'Gath, they also seem to be swelling in size. Holy shit, please nerf the Void. Fortunately time slows down again as all the enemies near me launch their attacks simultaneously. Squeezing Riven against me, I pick her up, grab her sword along with its many shards, and make a dash for the open door.

I don't know how long, but I kept running as long as I needed. At that time, I didn't care how much my back was bleeding - I could have cared less about how exhausted I felt - My entire body shivered with pain, telling me to stop - that it was okay to rest. No, it wasn't. I will rest when Riven is safe. She's still there, unconscious in my arms. If I relent now, both of us could die. Finally, I reach the edge of the city and place Her under a tree. The plant itself is withered and dead, but at least its trunk can offer her back some support. Sitting on top of a nearby boulder, I try to prepare another heal spell. No mana. Shit. At least this is a good place to rest. Kassadin must have given a good amount of mana to me when he grabbed my head earlier and filled me with the power of the Void. Reflecting on the events that happened since yesterday, I can't imagine myself ever using so many Summoner Spells in succession. That definitely wasn't possible at all without Kass' help. I'll need to properly thank him if we ever meet again. For now, I have to pick up Riven and keep walking. I can hear the scuttling of a massive army not too far behind me.

* * *

"What in the hell was that!?" Swain slams his staff into the ground. After an awkward silence, one of the members of the High Command speaks up. "We have no idea! The Black Rose has not contacted us since they started their little... distraction." The Grand General angrily kicks the table in front of him, knocking it over along with stacks of important legal documents. "I could care less about the soldiers, but Sion has gone missing! This isn't a distraction, this is a disaster! Find that Juggernaut!" Another member speaks up, "We can't do anything in NoxDemacia at the moment. The entire city has been taken over by the Void's Armies." Swain's eyes glow green with dark energies as anger wells up in him. With a level voice, he grumbles, "Who, then, is to blame for involving the Black Rose?" Silence. The fear in the room is palpable. The members of the High Command sweat profusely as Swain continues to glare at them with a level stare. "Answer now, or all of you will be punished." Eventually one of the men gets up out of their seat and starts to run. Without even showing the smallest effort, Swain roots him to the ground before he even gets within reach of the door. "Did you honestly thing you could get away from me?" The Grand General slowly walks over to the other side of the room, pinning his victim against the double doors. "I can't have LeBlanc pay for her transgression, but _you _will do for now." Transforming into his giant bird form, the life is quickly sucked out of the man. Before long, his lifeless body slumps to the floor. Swain reverts back into his normal appearance and leaves the meeting room without speaking another word.

Katarina is waiting in the hall outside. "Grand General, what's our next course of action?" Swain gives his staff a solid smack and closes his eyes, channeling the remnants of his anger into the ground. "... where is Talon?" he asks. "Talon is somewhere in NoxDemacia. I lost contact with him when the Void armies unleashed their attacks. It seems like other forces showed up in major cities in several other places. From what I can tell, this is a worldwide catastrophe. Even the League was caught off guard." Swain continues to muse, eyes closed. Something about the puzzle pieces in his head click together. Giving a subtle signal to Kat, he instructs her to follow him to someplace more private within the Immortal Bastion. "... I'm certain no one else is within earshot, what is it that you want to keep secret?" Swain exhales and explains, "It is not uncommon for people to worship the Void, especially among summoners who had close ties to Malzahar and the other Void champions. The Void Champions frequently break their bindings, but they rarely get so far as uttering a word before they are taken care of. I believe that cultists have infiltrated the League. This is a variable that neither I nor LeBlanc considered until now. Katarina, go to the Halls of Justice. Compile a list of any Summoners that have been fraternizing or operating closely with Malz and his kind. They know something." With a bow, the Red-haired Assassin takes her leave. "As you wish, Grand General." With a flourish, Kat's body disappears instantly.

* * *

Cho'Gath wades inside the wreckage of the Debonair. He was looking for the summoner who had volunteered to bring him food everyday. This idiot who somehow wandered his way into Icathia, and then started being able to foresee the Void's plans. Sure, being able to see when the End is coming does not matter against the overwhelming powers that command Cho'Gath. However, Cho sensed an explosion of Void energy within the building during his fight with Sion. He knew it didn't matter, but something in him sensed that that man would be a major thorn in his side. Feasting a Voidling in an attempt to sate his everlasting hunger and relieve his temporary irritation, Cho makes his way to the East opening up other minor portals to the Void in his wake. He cannot do anything to catch the Summoner now. All he can do is focus on his Ultimate Objective.

* * *

"This looks like a safe place. Maybe..." Laying Riven down in the cool dirt of the cave, I look around outside. The surrounding area is mostly forest. There are marshes on the other side of this mountain, and I have no desire to cross that kind of terrain in my condition. I bring a hand to my ear and listen for several minutes. Good, no signs of Void Creatures. I take off my Summoner's robe. Using a shard from Riven's blade, I clumsily tear the clothing apart. I manage to carve out some ribbons that I start to tie around my chest. My body is aching from the exertion, but I need to make sure I don't bleed out and die before I go to sleep. A sharp pain sinks into me as I feel pressure on the wounds that I have sustained. It's not a perfect job, but I can't do anything until I get my mana back. Hopefully, I won't need to cast another spell for awhile. Finding a comparatively comfortable spot in the cave (note, nowhere is comfortable in there) I sit awkwardly in front of the Exile. Damn. No matter how many times I look at her, my response is always the same. Blood splattered across her beautiful, tanned skin, the way the tufts of her white hair fan out like the feathers of a swan, her smooth, refined body... she's nothing short of a War Goddess.

I almost get up. I want to hold her in my arms again. I want to keep carrying her. I want to take her far away from the Void, the High Command, anything and anyone that would want to hurt her. I can't. After my last words with her the day before, it's clear to me. Those two nights of passion. That was a farce. She only goaded me into making a move because my passiveness annoyed her. She only satisfied my fantasies because she owed me... She beat the shit out of me because I'm not worthy enough to be with her. Riven doesn't love me. As things stand, she never will. I resolve myself to part ways with her if she doesn't leave while I'm asleep. I don't want to be a burden to her any longer. It's best that I forget the time we shared together and my desire to be by her side. Sadness gripping my heart, I hold back tears and force myself to sleep. I'll need as much rest as I can for the days that follow.


	10. Chapter 10: Apologies

Hi! Here it is! Chapter 10! Sine there has been several chapters since the last smut scene. I've decided to put another one here. I don't know whether this is a reward to all of you for following my story this far, but at the very least this is a reward to myself. As always, I'll be careful to write carefully so that you can skip this and still be able to read this story without having any issues with the continuity of my narrative.

As to the content of my scenes, sorry if Gin is a bit on the weak side. I didn't write him to be a sex machine. He's still very immature. He will grow, in time. Until that happens, please bear with the Monster Girl Quest-esque scenes that Gin will be going through.

As always, please enjoy! Look forward to the next one!

* * *

I slowly open my eyes. The last thing I remember is being in the Debonair... there were Voidlings everywhere. It was burning. I was... about to die. Yes, I remember now. Somehow, the Void Creature was able to shrug off my Wind Slash technique. Did I mess up? No, I couldn't have. My vision is still a bit hazy. Where am I? Rubbing my eyes, I find myself in a cold, damp cave. The ceiling is dark and covered with some moss. I get up and look outside. I'm out in the wilderness. The forest feels eerily quiet, especially compared to the commotion that was at the bar not too long ago. Another question comes to mind, how did I get here? The answer is lying to my left. A man's body is sleeping facedown in the dirt. A summoner's robe is torn up beside one of the shards of my Rune Blade. Makeshift bandages are tied on his back, where many wounds and burns shimmer with slowly drying blood. I would recognize that bedhead anywhere. It's Gin. Did he carry me all the way here...? He must have. And... what's with the bandages on his back? That first aid job is horrible. The wounds didn't even close properly. With a heavy sigh, I lean over and redo the bandages on his back. His skin shows signs of tearing beyond the clean cuts that I assume he sustained from the monster that attacked me. It baffles me how a man who is so weak could have pushed himself to save me and carry me all the way here. Either way, I won't question it. I need him alive. When he wakes up, I'll make him answer all my questions. With a satisfying tug, I finish bandaging up Gin. The wounds have closed rather nicely this time. Looks like he might have bled to death if I hadn't intervened. Good. A life for a life. My debt to him is repaid... maybe? I sit down beside him. Upon closer inspection, I find burns and bruises on his shoulders and the back of his neck. His face is covered in blood and dirt. The sides of his temples look peculiar in how they are damaged. It's as if someone shot a lightning bolt through his head.

Dammit, he didn't have to go that far for me. Especially after I... shit. My memory of kicking Gin's ass outside the apartment is still clear to me. I was furious. Sure, he was a bad fuck. He couldn't even get it up after cumming once or twice. But he was honest (after some persuasion) and then incredibly daring. Perhaps the better word might have been Gallant. He gave me a decent meal. He risked his social and economic status that he worked so hard for in Noxus to let me shop and spend time as an actual citizen for the first time in forever. None of the other men did that. They were smart. They knew the consequences of harboring me. So I took advantage of them.. and they took advantage of my body. Gin wanted more. He wanted me to fall in love with him. Jeez, what a fucking idiot. He did all that just to be answered with anger and abuse... As feelings of guilt, pity, and concern take hold, I make a decision. Alright. I owe him an apology. Maybe that will make things... more even. Resolving to do this, I meditate and wait patiently for the Summoner to wake up.

* * *

I just had the most incredible sleep that I've ever had. No visions, no anything... just nothing. It was awesome. I've been dealing with these nightmares for so long, I've forgotten what a decent night's sleep is like. Well, a decent day's sleep I guess. If I recall correctly, I stopped in this cave in the early morning... and I guess it's night again? I roll over to get a better look outside, when I end up face to face with Riven. Remembering my earlier decision, I immediately break eye contact with her, getting up and putting on what remained of my Summoner's robe. I'm standing here looking at her. She's sitting there looking at me. This is awkward. It's hard to find words to say. Neither can she, it seems. I can't let this silence go on for much longer. We both end up talking in unison anyways, though. "... I'm sorry. Huh? Sorry for what?" we both say simultaneously. Assuming that she's been awake for awhile before me, it seems like there's something she wants to say, and she's been thinking about how to say it while I was resting. I slowly sit down in front of her. While I purposefully avoid eye contact, I clear my throat and begin to speak.

"I-I'm sorry for fucking up so badly. You lost what little possessions you had because of me."

"No, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have treated you the way I did."

"... That's okay. I know how you feel now."

"What do you mean?"

Tears well up in my eyes. I shut them and assume a fetal position, hiding my face from Riven. Gulping down the lump in my throat, I force myself to say these words that I absolutely don't want to believe. "You'll never fall in love with me. I'm sure of it. A-at least I was able to do something for you one last time." I stand up, doing my best to hide my face using what's left of the Summoner's Robe. "I won't be a burden to you anymore, Riven! I think it's best if we forget each other!" I say that last sentence to myself inside my head. 'I think it's best if we forget each other.' I have to convince myself of that if I'm going to save face. How embarrassing. I turn and start to run... well, I start to walk. I don't run. I can't run even if I want to right now. After everything that's happened, after resolving to push Riven out of my life forever, I want to stay. I want Riven to say something. I want her to tell me that it's okay. I want to believe that I still have a chance with her.

"Wait!" There it is. I can't resist a command from my Goddess. Why can't logic win for once, though? Being in love is way too painful.

Riven runs up and grabs my wrist. "You're going to open those wounds again if you exert yourself."

I turn my head away from her. I can't let her see me be this weak, but I can't help it. All the emotional stress of these past two days comes to a head, and the tears start flowing. "S-see this is what I'm talking about! Why would you let someone as weak as me stay by your side!" I sniffle, and use my clothes to wipe up the steams running down my cheeks. Riven releases the grip on my arm and gently holds my hand in hers.

"... Stop lying. You saved me from certain death. I don't know what you are right now, but you aren't weak. Actually, I'd say I'm impressed with you."

I bite my lip, holding back a smile with all my might. "... I'm sorry."

"Stop talking like that. Why don't you act more like a Noxian?"

"Sorry."

"I said stop..."

Riven leads me back into the cave. Sitting me down, she makes me spill everything. The visions, my journey in Shurima, Kassadin, my powers and how he helped me with them, and how I managed to save her from the Void Creature. After I finally finish explaining the events of the past few days, Riven gives me an honest smile.

"Wow, that's nothing short of amazing."

I blush, breaking eye contact with her again. "No, not really. I just got lucky."

"You nearly killed yourself multiple times to save my life. Lucky or not, I'll have to admit, you seem pretty cool to me right now."

"Um... thank you."

"No need to thank me. It's incredible that you went through all that for my sake! It's like your in love with me or something!" Riven laughs. A bit of sadness pierces my heart like a needle. My mood visibly dampens as I sigh, searching for some place on the dirt floor to stare at.

"That was in poor taste. Sorry about that."

"... No need to apologize. Don't worry about my feelings."

"... Hey, now. You don't need to be like that." Riven comes over to hug me. I push her away.

"I don't deserve your affection."

"You don't believe that."

"It's true whether I believe in it or not. Facts are like that."

Riven falls silent for a moment. She clutches her chest and resolves herself. It seems like she's looking for the right words to say. Frowning, she interlocks her fingers of her right hand with my left. "Let me make this clear. These are the facts. You deserve my affection. I owe it to you to give you a chance for everything you've done for me." Riven's face blushes as she starts to yell at me. "Don't you dare act so uncool after rushing in to save my life like you're some kind of fucking hero!" Riven forces her way into my arms. "Stop lying to yourself again and be honest with me. You still want to try to get me to fall in love with you, huh? I can see it." She holds her other hand over my chest. My heart is beating hard, and she seems to have sensed that. "I can feel it, too."

"... Yes. I do. I want to stay with you! I want you to return my feelings, but..." Riven brings her face right up to mine. Pecking my lips in an effort to shut me up.

"Then try, dammit."

Our faces turn bright red. My eyes are wavering, but Riven stares into mine with expectation. My heart pangs. I do my best to work through my hesitation. Resolving myself, I squeeze Riven tight, and plant a deep kiss on her lips. "Mm." Riven's shoulders tense up, and our interwoven fingers squeeze each other. Riven returns the kiss, this time with a little tongue. "Oh, mnph!" A line of spit connects our lips as we part again. I steal another taste of her lips to reconfirm the sensations. She's as sweet as honey, as hot as lava, as addicting as a drug. I can feel myself losing my mind to this woman all over again. I try to push her down, but she holds me steady against the wall. Riven holds a finger up to my lips.

"Remember your back. No exerting yourself. Just let me do all the work tonight. Consider this me returning the favors you did for me today."

Riven licks my neck, covering it with peck after peck. My body shivers as she makes her way down my chest, pinching my nipples and squeezing me in various places. Riven moves her body back up, grinding herself against me. She gives me a good look at her breasts as she squeezes them together. Then, she dips her fingers into her cleavage, pulling out the zipper from inside and then unzipping her top just enough so that her tits pop out. Her nipples are covered by a pair of carrot shaped pasties. That's... pretty cute. Riven arches her back, pushing her impressive chest in my face.

"Why don't you take these off?" she suggests, with a seductive purr. I immediately reach up with my hands to peel them off as fast as I can, but I stop. No, I'll do something different. Swirling my tongue around the edges of the plastics, I push in the bottom of the pasty with my thumb... and take hold of the top of it with my teeth. Like a lion feasting on his prey, I snap my head to the side, tearing the vegetable from Riven's nipple with one swift movement. "Ahn~!" It seems like she enjoyed that a little. Nice. Doing this again to her remaining breast, I begin to play with her bountiful orbs, sucking and pulling on the exposed tits with my teeth. Riven reaches down into my pants and takes my cock out. It doesn't take long for it to grow to full size, and Riven licks her lips as she stares at it fully erect.

"Hmm... I think I'll make a deal with you."

"... What kind of deal?"

Riven reaches down and pulls the bottom of her Bunny Suit to the side, exposing her pink, wet snatch. "Do you want to be inside me? I'll ride you."

"Yes!" I don't even think about it.

"On one con- well, you already accepted. I guess you'll find out what you've gotten yourself into."

Riven's smile turns slightly sadistic as she takes my dick inside of her all the way to the root. I can't hold back my moans as she immediately goes to work on me. Resting her hands on my shoulders, my Goddess treats me to a face-full of her tits as she bounces up and down on my shaft. This is utter bliss. I'm quickly reaching my climax when suddenly, Riven gets off of me right before my pleasure overcomes my endurance.

"Wh-what...!?" I can't believe it. Why did she have to stop riding me right there!? I was so close. Riven's smirk is far less subtle now. Her breathing heavy, she starts to explain herself.

"Disappointed, huh? I am too." Riven reaches down and slowly strokes my penis. It's enough to keep me erect, but not enough to bring me to release. I feel the pleasure start to slip away and then she gets back on top of my stick and starts to ride me again.

"I'm not even close to cumming." Riven lifts her hips far above mine. I slip out of her. Riven lowers her hips again, but doesn't let me penetrate. Gently grinding her pussy against my rod, Riven keeps teasing me. "Do you honestly think it's okay that you got to cum by yourself the last two times I did something like this for you?" My back arches as I enter her a third time. Riven whispers in my ear as she lowers herself again. "You don't get to cum until I cum first. You had better hope your pathetic dick starts to feel good really, really soon, or else this is going to be a long night."

Before long, what was supposed to be heaven is now a wet, hot hell. I don't know how many times I've been denied orgasm, but I could probably say that Riven's been going at it for half an hour. I don't know whether to regret it or ask Riven to do this to me again sometime. I hope this experience hasn't awoken something weird inside of me. At the very least, I've been able to hold it in better, due to becoming familiar with the sensation of my climax coming and going away, without ever having that satisfying release. Eventually, Riven starts to speed up. The expression on her face is one of excitement and bliss.

"Yes! Yes! Just like that!"

Reaching down with her hand, she starts to massage her clit, pushing it against the wall of my organ as it repeatedly penetrates her. I feel another orgasm coming on. I curl my toes and grunt, directing all my effort into enduring the pleasures that Riven is giving me. She speeds up through my rising climax, and I manage to keep it in. Pulling her body down, she gives me a quick kiss. "Good job. I'm so close. Don't fuck this up, okay?" Riven rides me harder and tightens up. My fingers dig into her ass and hers into my hair as we both look for something to grasp with all our might.

"Oh fuck! Fuck me! Yes! **Yes!**"

Riven throws her head back and squirts all over me as she slows down. Almost to a halt. At the top of each of her squats, she can feel my hands aggressively pulling her hips back into mine. With a blushing, satisfied, face, Riven says the words I've been waiting for all night.

"Your turn."

Getting up, Riven turns around and rides me Reverse Cowgirl style. I get a good look at her round ass slapping against me as she quickly speeds up. My Goddess reaches behind herself and pulls my hands to her chest. "Squeeze me, hurry!" You don't need to tell me twice. I relish the sensation of her breasts swallowing my fingers like putty. Riven's pussy tightens as she goes even faster. I can't take it anymore. I warn Riven about the edge as I get ever closer to it. "Riv! C-cumming! Hurry and *augh!* get off!" Riven turns around, with lust in her eyes. "It's okay! Fill me up with your hot seed!" As if I have a choice! Biting my lip so hard that I start to bleed, I bask in the climax that has been teased out of me for what felt like an eternity. Riven slowly rocks her hips, deftly pumping out my remaining juices until I finish. Turning around, Riven lets herself fall onto me. We exchange another kiss as she settles against my chest. Her legs straddle me, and I can feel my hot jizz slowly dripping out of her and onto my leg. I give her a look of concern. Riven shakes her head, "Devoting myself to the military came at a huge cost. My strength is great, but the rigorous training I went through in order to wield my huge weapon kind of... shut off my reproductive system. Honestly it might have been a result of Zaunite poisoning, too, but I'm... way too thin to have a child. I don't want one right now, anyways." She slides her hand down my chest. Her voice takes on a husky tone as she almost sighs, "It lets me fuck as much as I want with no risk." Riven leans into my ear and whispers,

"So, you're welcome to cum inside if we have sex again." I turn bright red.

The lewd thought is nothing less than stimulating, but what she said bothered me a little. "... if?"

"I'm not in love with you, you know. I just gave you what you wanted because you earned it."

"I'll have to start overachieving, then."

"Good, you're being honest again. Keep that up and I won't get too mad at you from now on."

"From now on?"

"So you're going to up and walk away from me after what just happened?"

"N-no. Of course not."

Riven re-positions herself in my lap, leading with her back against my chest. "Yeah, I know. Get some rest now, we'll have to get moving in the morning."

"... together?" I ask, wanting to confirm that we've made up from our fight earlier.

"Together." Riven closes her eyes and leans back against me. I smile gently as I hold her in my arms. As much as I want to stay awake and enjoy this scene that I have... earned (?), I can't ignore her advice. I'll get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us when we leave this cave.


	11. Chapter 11: Why the Blade was Broken

Hi, everyone! Sorry about the brief lull in new content. I backtracked to the earlier chapters because I've felt extremely dissatisfied with them for awhile now. Hopefully they're much better now. I'd like to take a moment to apologize for chapter 10. There was far more mistakes in there than I realized upon re-reading it (for reasons). I've gone back through and fixed some of the repetition and grammatical errors. I'll try to be more vigilant in the future.

As always, please enjoy this new chapter and look forward to my next one!

* * *

I wake up in the morning feeling greatly relieved. Riven's still snug against me as we lay against the dirt walls of the cave. Sharing our warmth was a good idea, considering how cold it is near NoxDemacia and the fact that we're both not dressed for this kind of weather. I try not to move around. Perhaps she's still asleep. My intuition is proven to be incorrect as Riven gently removes my arms from herself and gets up. She stretches and turns around to look at me. "I've been waiting for at least half an hour for you to wake up. We've lost precious daylight, you know." I apologize and rub my eyes. Straining myself, I slowly stand up. My back is still in a good amount of pain from yesterday. Riven takes my arm over her shoulders to support me as we walk out into the forest. The ground is wet with leaves. I stumble a few times. I hadn't realized the toll that has been taken on my body until now. It's hard to stand up much less walk. Riven steadies me, and with some concern in her voice she starts to talk about what we should do next.

"Let's take it slow until we get back to the city." I tilt my head sideways at her. "What about the monsters?" She nods. "What about them? They weren't looking to occupy the city, they were intending to destroy it. If their objective was to capture anything, it wouldn't be NoxDemacia - its not that important. They probably chose that place because they assumed that Noxus and Demacia would be too occupied with each other to be prepared for a Void invasion." I shake my head, looking at the ruined city in the distance.

"I don't think anyone was prepared for this."

Making our way down the mountain, we slowly navigate the rubble of the place that I used to call home. There are no longer paved streets and quaint roads, only a winding path left behind by the enemy. Wisps of purple smoke rise out of the ruins as the taint left behind by the Armies of the Void sink into the ground below. After a few minutes in the area, the energy is drawn to me and I notice that my left eye start to hurt. As the pain spreads through my body, I feel a small surge of vigor. It's not as intense as when Kassadin grabbed me before, but I can feel the power of the Void flowing through me again. I cough a little as the sensation begins to dull. Riven gives me a look of concern when I stumble over, but I manage to steady myself.

"I'll head to the League Embassy, I think it'll be fine."

She nods, "Okay. Be careful."

I give her a thumbs up, "Don't worry, I'll be alright."

I trace out a theoretical map of the city in my head. It might be destroyed now, but I can at least guess where I am based on what remains of everything. Somehow I find the League's Embassy near the NoxDemacian Gate. The passageway itself is rubble, now a wall dividing the Noxian and Demacian sides. I sigh, how oddly appropriate. The purple and gray bricks of the Leaque's quarters are unmistakable. It doesn't take a whole lot of effort to find the place that used to be my office.

"... No way!" I almost run full speed up to a cardboard tube sticking out of the wreckage. Snapping off the plastic lid, I gently tilt it, letting the contents slowly slide out. By some miracle the old military poster is intact, the container taking the brunt of the damage. I replace the keepsake inside and snap on the lid. To think that I almost threw this out. I get on my hands and knees, perhaps my Summoner's orb is still here. Spreading out the splintered wood of my desk, I find the crystal ball. It's sustained a few cracks, but nothing I can't use. I channel a bit of my mana into it and it glows with a gentle hum. I try logging into the League's Maginet to not avail.

There's nothing in the ball except a single bleak message:

_To all Summoners,_

_I'm a Silver Rank reporting in from the Halls of Justice. As you probably already know, sometime last night the Void Champions were released from their cages. Normally it would have been a simple task to put them back in the prison, but somehow they were able to Riftwalk out of there. Malzahar and Kog'Maw remained, but they were extremely empowered. The Diamond Summoners who happened to be around are currently fighting for their lives right now. I am luck to have survived this long, but I don't think I will be around for too much longer. I can feel the scuttling of legions upon legions of Voidlings. I'll be as concise as possible. _

_The High Council of the League is Dead, it's safe to assume most everyone who was here at the Halls of Justice tonight will be dead by the time you see this message. _

_I've heard reports of Malzahar breaking into the Forbidden Vault. It seems like he was looking for something- some ancient magic from the Rune Wars. Either way, that knowledge is lost to us now. Kog'Maw has digested it along with the greater amount of our infrastructure here. _

_**As of now, the League of Legends is dissolved**. If only the Champions were still staying at the Institute like they used to before we started using bots and simulators. Well, "what-ifs" don't do you any good now. _

_I only have one more thing to say, I hear Malzahar talking about something terrible! He's planning on-_

The message cuts off there. Well, that's convenient... for Malz. I wonder what that guy was about to say. I carry the orb on me as I make my way to the ruined barracks of the Embassy. While I can't use it to communicate with other Summoners anymore, perhaps it can serve other uses. Several Summoner's robes are scattered among broken stone and metal. I pick one and put it on... too big. They're all too big, dammit. Well, at least I can use a spare one as a sleeping bag or something. After some time rummaging for supplies Riven walks up, having finished things on her end. She's dressed in generic military armor. the breastplate is tattered and dented, but still fits her well. There's a bag slung over her back. It's bulging with lots of plush blankets inside. So much for my sleeping bag idea. She looks at my robe and shakes her head,

"Is there any green robes there? You'll stick out like a sore thumb if you run around in that. Actually, you shouldn't be wearing a robe at all. Come with me."

Riven leads me to the Military barracks, where I find a comfortable Soldier's uniform. I have to roll up my sleeves and pants, however. Why is all the leftover clothes around here too big for me!? Buttoning up my new clothes, she snickers at me.

"You look like you're fit to be a Commander. Well, maybe if you were a bit bigger..."

I grind my teeth a little. Riven laughs at me until we leave NoxDemacia. Once we're out of the city limits, she takes out a map and points to a spot on it. "The Immortal Bastion?" Riven points over to the East. "Yeah, we're headed that way. From the looks of things, that's where Cho'Gath is headed, as well." There's a trail of destruction following the road. The ground is split open in places. The holes are filled with a bright, purple ooze. The repugnant stench makes us cover our nostrils until we decide to leave the path, instead walking at a distance alongside it. The muddy hills of the countryside are somewhat exhausting to navigate for me, but Riven crosses the terrain with ease. I spend some time watching where she decides to step, and it slowly becomes easier for me to move. We set a good pace until nightfall.

Each night from here progresses about the same between us. Riven has me take off my shirt so she can redo my bandages and wash off the wounds before I go to sleep. I've... found it hard to talk to her. There isn't an awkward atmosphere hanging between us, but there just doesn't seem to be much to say. I want to talk, though, but forced small talk is just boring drivel. It seems she thinks the same thing. While we've shared nary a word since we left NoxDemacia, Riven's been a great help to me. Just watching her I've gotten a little better at navigating these harsh landscapes in Noxus. It's as if she knows them personally. After a night or two I started reapplying my bandages by myself. I can't have her babysit me. Every time I finish, though, I look to her. She leans back against a tree across from me and nods approvingly. Good, I'm improving. Slowly but surely, the muddy, cold hills of NoxDemacia give way to the marshes and swamps of the area around the Immortal Bastion. Riven and I have no choice but to move to the road again. While the putrid stench of the Void's corruption is almost nauseating, it's preferable to wading through the swamps and getting ourselves exhausted, or , the spires of the Capital come into view. Noxus hasn't fallen, thank goodness. Settling down for one more night, I turn to Riven and speak the first words I've spoken in days.

"So, I've been wondering... why are we going to the Capital? Is it so that we can fight the Void?"

She shakes her head, "No."

Hefting her sword in her hands, she stares at it with a look of nostalgia and pain.

"I would never be allowed to walk around in the Capital with the High Command sitting right there. They hate me, I hate them, but these circumstances are dire... It's about time I fixed this broken blade."

I gulp, anxiety swelling in my chest as I prepare to pry further. Perhaps I am asking too much of her, to speak of what I am about to ask, but my curiosity overcomes my nervousness.

"... why did you break it in the first place? It would have been enough to defect from the army if you simply objected to their... harsh military strategies."

Perhaps not the most tactful way to talk about how Singed almost killed her, but I couldn't think of a better way to refer to the Ionian Invasion without being grossly explicit. Riven's lips trembled, only for a second, as she mulled over the answer in her head. Maybe she didn't want to say anything. I wouldn't have minded. After a long silence, it seems as if she had decided to refuse the question. I nod my head at her, and shift around in my blankets to go to sleep.

"This blade..."

I open my eyes and sit up. Riven's looking down at her sword. I can't see her face.

"... when I received it, you could not have imagined how happy I was. The High Command commissioned it, custom made, just for me. That is how much I had proven myself. That is how much I was valued. It was supposed to be the realization of my dreams."

A single drop of water falls onto the hilt of the sword.

"I broke it because those feelings are a lie."

Her voice cracks, and more water, no, her tears fall onto the blade like raindrops. "This Country... they believe in Strength, but they do not believe in Honor, or Respect for the people like me who have put in honest work for everything they have! The Ionian Invasion...

we didn't win because we were stronger!

We won because we poisoned them- we poisoned their country!"

I didn't notice myself- my body moving on its own. In an instant I'm beside her, holding her to my chest as she cries into it. Riven, who I thought was stronger than no other- unbreakable, even- is crumbling in my arms.

"I don't want to fix this blade, but I have to. One of those monsters, it took my Wind Slash from point blank, so I need its original power... but... I don't want to see this blade fixed until Noxus is fixed!"

Squeezing her against me, I let her lean on me as her quiet sobs continue into the night. Finally, I find the words I feel I've wanted to say to her.

"... if anyone can make Noxus... good. It's you, Riven." I reach down and place my hand over hers.

"Don't give up on Noxus. I am certain that you can redeem yourself, redeem this country. Of this, I am sure."

She squeezes me tight. "... thank you."

No more words, no more need for them, rather. We stayed there, huddled against a rotten, dead tree, under the bleak Noxian sky. To me, though, it's never looked so bright, and full of hope.


	12. Chapter 12: Abandoned

Hi everyone! For those of you who have been following me this far, thank you! Once again, sorry about the delay in new content. This was meant to be a chapter-every-other-day sort of deal, but the new MTG set just came out soooo... Please expect me to return to normal speed as I get later into this week and more into the groove of writing again.

As always, enjoy!

* * *

Daylight shines onto my eyelids as I slowly wake up the next morning. Almost immediately I notice the missing sensation of Riven snuggled against my chest. Perhaps she's gone forward to scout... no, something is wrong. If I'm not mistaken... the ground below me is... shaking? I open my eyes. Riven is across from me, sitting with her head limply staring at the ground. We're inside of a wooden carriage. The benches that we sit on are coarse, and itchy. The windows, if you could even call them that, are striped with metal bars, preventing our escape. While she isn't restrained in any way, I don't see the Rune Blade at her side. I am cuffed with a familiar set of anti-magic braces on my wrists and ankles. While I'm not prevented from moving around normally, I can't use magic. A Red-Haired Woman and a Blue-Hooded Man sit at the front of the coach. I can only see the backs of their heads through the barred windows. I recognize them immediately.

"Katarina? Talon?"

Katarina raises her hand up. "Silence, Summoner. I wouldn't talk much if I were you."

I lean over to my right, trying to get a better view out of the front-most window. "Why not? I understand that I've been captured. Tell me why."

The Assassin shoots me a look of disgust. "Don't be so coy, cultist."

Cultist!? "I-I'm sorry! There must be some misunderstanding!"

"There is no misunderstanding."

Kat takes out a note, on it is a short list of summoners. Most of them have been scratched out, but one of them has been circled in red- my name.

"Of all the Summoners assigned with the Duty of feeding the Void creatures, you were the only one who was ranked Platinum.

That job is reserved for Bronze Summoners so that they can earn some extra money on the side, so why did you stay then, when you had plenty of money to spare?

It seems that you were also the only one who even bothered talking to them. You were spotted visiting multiple cells in the Void Champion's prison. Why would you do that?

And lastly... there are reports that you made a short pilgrimage to Shurima before your rank increased significantly. If I was an investigator..."

I nervously laugh, "-You'd say that those are just meaningless coincidences?"

"I'd say that you're a fucking cultist!"

"Well, uh, that's wrong! Riven can vouch for me! Riven, tell them how we were both attacked when the Void Champions showed up! Why would the Voidborn attack one of their worshipers?"

There's no response from Riven. She continues to stare down at the floor, her head bobbing side to side with the rhythm of the carriage. I gulp, moving over to her. I place a hand on her shoulder.

"Is something wrong...?"

She turns her head to me, there's a distinct sadness in her eyes. I know not what is bothering her, but I understand that she doesn't want to speak. I sat down beside her and stayed silent for the rest of the ride. While I don't like being arrested as a cultist, I can't do anything about it now. Reaching across her shoulders, I let Riven lean onto me, but she pushes my arm away. Was it something I did? Either way, I still sat there with her. The rest of the journey was nerve-wracking and uncomfortable. I've never been arrested before so I hang my head in much the same way that Riven hung hers. The odd feeling of eyes drilling into me lingered until we arrived inside of the Immortal Bastion. Riven silently exits the coach with me right behind her. Immediately Talon grabs me by the collar and holds his blade to my neck.

"Any sudden movements and your life ends here."

"A-alright."

Even if I did manage to break out of these cuffs, I don't think I could get away from these two assassins anyways. Katarina slings a bag over her back. I can see the hilt of the Rune Blade sticking out of it. Hmm, so we've been disarmed. Perhaps that's what is bothering Riven. An ornate set of double doors stand in front of us. Two guards in gilded Noxian armor salute the assassins and give a signal for the doors to be opened. We're led through a short hall up to the staircase. The doors here are all made of metal. The ancient, gray stone gives off the faint stench of Death. I wonder whether this is because of this tower's origins with Mordekaiser or if the atmosphere here affirms the rumors that the Grand General of Noxus uses the Lich's dark magics to live indefinitely. Secrets such as those are not meant for me to explore, though the thoughts are a pleasant diversion from my current situation.

"Stop looking around and move!" Talon's blade sinks into my neck a little. Alright, no more wandering eyes. Maybe.

We slowly walk up a winding staircase, until the top comes into view. From what little I see out of the arrow slits at the top of this spire, the sky doesn't get any clearer, even inside the Immortal Bastion, the highest tower in the Capital. I am turned into a short hallway. At the end is another set of impressive, metal doors. When we get there, Katarina knocks on it.

"Grand General, I brought the summoner. We also found the Exile with him."

"Two Traitors at once? Impressive, Katarina."

Swain doesn't even open the doors. A magic sigil appears on the ground before he teleports through to us. I wonder if he did that to keep the room inside closed to prying eyes, or if he wanted to show a display of power? There's practicality in both. Swain walks up to me. He's taller than me, but only slightly. Leaning over and staring into my eyes he seems to be analyzing something.

"I'll have you know, I'm not a culti-" Talon slams me face-first into the ground. I can feel my nose bleeding and my eyes start to water as the sensation pulses in my skull like some sort of ticking time bomb.

"Don't speak to the Grand General unless you are spoken to! You are a prisoner!" Well, I guess that settles that. I don't have many options here.

"... whatever you are, you aren't a cultist." Thank god, he found out. "However, you're still useless." Shit!

"What should we do with him, Swain?"

"Hold him still, I'll take what usefulness we can from him."

My mind starts to beat, faster and faster, like a rolling drum. I realize now that this pain isn't because Talon bashed my head into the ground. No, this is magic. I can hear the faint sound of crows as I can feel the spell drilling into my thoughts. It's too bad, though, that I understand how these anti-magic cuffs work. I close my eyes and focus my mana. Fortunately I was able to regenerate a good amount of it when Riven and I were crossing those Void infected lands earlier. Casting a cantrip, the cuffs instantly shine and a barrier forms around me blocking all flow of mana. Even Swain's magic, which was flowing into the back of my skull, is cut off. His spell fizzles.

"You're going to have to take these cuffs off if you're going to dig into my brain like th- UGH!" Talon kicks me.

"What did I say about talking to the General-"

"Talon. Enough. Take his cuffs off."

My restraints are quickly unlocked as once again, I can feel the mana flowing through my body. It was a risky gambit, he could have decided to just execute me, but it seems like Swain is being oddly reasonable. I wonder why. Swain silently starts to gather his mana. Looks like he's going to dig around in my head a bit. The feeling isn't too unfamiliar with me. The League used this technique to test potential Champions and Summoners. You only have to go through it once, but I volunteered to go through a mental scan again after my trip to Shurima. Their results were inconclusive, however. I wonder if the Void present in me messes with mental incursions. Guess I'm about to find out. I hear a chuckle as I feel my mind being twisted and turned to Swain's will.

"You're quite fond of the Exile, aren't you?"

I shoot a sideways glance at Riven, who continues to look down at her feet. Is she really so sad that her blade got confiscated? She has to be anxious about something else. I receive an intense glare from Talon, however, who is standing beside her. My left eye starts to feel intense pain as Swain pries further into my memories. He breaks the spell, and immediately I receive a Vision, the first in awhile. I can see myself being eaten alive by crows, laying on top of a pile of corpses, abandoned in Noxus somewhere. I see where this is going. Swain transforms, his crow's mouth open, his sharp, jagged, teeth lunging at me. The world turns blue, even with the benefit of my speed, I barely dodge the attack as crows, conjured from his dark magic, tear of bits of my skin. I instantly start to feel my life being drained as I see whips of green rise out of the wounds, and enter Swain.

"Shit-! Riven, we have to run!"

Talon brandishes his knives. "She won't help you here, summoner. The Exile works for us now." What transpired while I was asleep! Damn, if only I wasn't such a heavy sleeper! Both of the assassins come at me with killing intent. I get a Vision again, followed by more swift movement. I run to the end of the hall and jump down the stairs. Swain returns to his human form and points at me as I disappear from view.

"That Summoner has an unnatural command of Void energy! Kill him!"

Katarina runs after me. Riven and Talon remain behind. Swain turns to her and continues to speak.

"You evaded the Capital for so long, Exile. Tell me, what brings you here, now of all times."

"I need the Sword fixed. I am not strong enough to fight the Voidborn without it."

"... So be it, but you must prove your loyalty before we do this for you. That Summoner, kill him."

Riven shakes her head sadly. "...I will not."

Talon approaches her, reaching around to grab her ass. "You should just forget about him, then. Katarina will make short work of that cretin. You serve me now. You will not get your sword back until later. For now... you'll be joining me."

Riven bites her lip while glaring at Talon, who only sneers back at her. "... Understood."

* * *

Stray daggers dig into my skin as I desperately navigate the winding halls of the Immortal Bastion. Several of the guardsmen there have been alerted to my escape, and doors and whatnot are being systematically locked. I find myself cornered at the end of a dark hallway. Katarina slowly walks towards me casually juggling her blades between her hands.

"Don't suppose you would let me go?"

"What kind of stupid question is that?"

"The kind of stupid question I was hoping to get a 'yes' to?"

Katarina scoffs and starts spinning a few feet away from me. Knives come at me with startling precision, each emboldened with lethal intent. I manage to avoid most of the attack, but I still sustain an extreme amount of wounds. My chest starts to feel heavy as my blood slowly leaks out along her blades. I tear the knives out and quickly heal myself.

"Are you a glutton for suffering, or what?"

"I'm just really cocky, okay?"

Katarina spins again. This time the attacks come even faster, and there are more of them. It's intimidating, but after seeing it in slow motion once, I've formulated a strategy against her. Diving under the wall of knives, I deliver a swift kick at the base of her ankle, almost tripping her. If she hadn't stopped spinning a moment earlier, I think I might have won the fight. Kat delivers an axe kick, which is stopped by a magical chain-

"You Bitch! You dare show your face here again!?"

LeBlanc slowly leaves invisibility and places a hand on my shoulder. "I'll be taking this Summoner. The Black Rose needs him more than the General wants him dead."

I can feel a pulling sensation on my entire body. It's like when Kassadin dragged me through his Voidwalk. I find myself in someplace dark. I think it's underground, as the only sources of light are the flickering bulbs dangling from the ceiling. The room smells like death, a bit like the Immortal Bastion, but this is quite different. It smells here more like poison and sharpened blades than the unnatural death that lingers in the Hollow Bastion. This is a familiar sensation in Noxus. It may seem weird to you, but this makes me feel somewhat at home. I raise my hands. They're bound together at the wrists with a pair of magical cuffs. I seem to have a knack for being a prisoner. I raise my head and look up at LeBlanc.

"... Why did you save me?"

"As I said. The Black Rose has use for you."

For some reason, I'm being singled out as someone important. Is it because of my Void powers? Well, I care not why, but I could use this to put myself in a better position. I'm sure LeBlanc is already thinking about how to get me to do her dirty work for free. I'll have to be aggressive here.

"Why should I help you? I don't find myself being to amicable with someone who has me bound in chains."

LeBlanc laughs. "Right. Sorry, it's a habit." She leans in close and undoes my bindings. "It's a real shame. I like my men _tied up and defenseless._"

I could feel my hair standing on end as she says that. Better that I figure out what she wants and leave as soon as possible. I'd rather not become her plaything if I can help it. I quickly stand up to face her. She stands somewhat taller than me, but I don't back down.

"Well... that's nice. But I still don't understand how I can help you, or why I should."

"Of course. The Black Rose has honor in that we are fair in our... transactions. Here, have some tea."

"I politely decline. I don't think drinking or eating anything here is safe. At least until I find some reason to trust you."

"I'll get straight to the point then. I have information that is relevant to your interests."

"You mean the Voidborn?"

"... Pardon me, I mean to say 'Love Interest'."

I blush. "Riven is..."

"She's working for Noxus again, yes. My agents know that she made a deal with Swain. She's working under Talon now. In exchange, they will repair her blade."

"I see... I already guessed all of that, though."

"Very good. Did you know that Swain is lying?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Not surprised. But what is he lying about?"

"He has no way to repair her sword. The Runic Blade's original methods and materials have been lost. The ones who made it, however, still live."

"I think I see where this is going. I can use this knowledge to get Riven a new sword and get her to leave Swain's service. You'll tell me where they are, but I must do something for you."

"Information doesn't come cheap."

"It never does. It's too valuable. So, what is it that you want from me?"

"The High Command is currently trying to kill me, and my organization. I need you to make your presence known. Make Swain and his servants focus on taking your life rather than mine."

"So I'm a scapegoat."

"You'll be dealing with some of the greatest assassins in Valoran."

"I understand. When will you be giving me that information, though?"

"Now. He's already after your life. If you would have refused, I would have just returned you to him. The Black Rose will not help you anymore from this point on. We have to focus on laying low until a better time. Keep in mind that we will drop clues to him about your whereabouts. You will be hounded with no quarter."

I gulp, swallowing a the lump in my throat. While shitty, this is my only option, so it will have to do. "I won't die so easily. I suppose we have a deal."

LeBlanc nods and unravels a scroll onto the ornate desk in front of us. "A little over a decade ago, a group of mages left Noxus in mass exodus in response to the High Command's edicts concerning dissension among the citizenry. Are you familiar with this?"

"Not really."

"Their existence was erased by Darkwill a long time ago. They are currently living in the Voodoo Lands."

"How does this relate to the Runic Blade?"

"The Warlock and the Witch who enchanted it and magically forged the black stone of Riven's sword are the leaders of this group."

"... Their names?"

"No Idea. Darkwill was very thorough. This is a map of the Voodoo Lands. I believe it will help you locate them."

This is pretty shitty info, though the Map seems to be pretty useful. I scoop it up off the table. "... Thank you. I suppose I'll see myself out."

LeBlanc shakes her head. "No, that won't do. I'd rather you not know where this base is located."

Someone hits my neck from behind. While normally I'm so hardheaded that this wouldn't bother me, the toll of the pain and bleeding I suffered and the mana drain of the Void powers finally take their toll on me again. I fall over. The last thing I see is LeBlanc blowing me a kiss.

"Night night, summoner..."


	13. Chapter 13: Escape from the Capital

Hi everyone! There isn't much for me to comment on right now.

Please enjoy this chapter and look forward to the next one! I'll be speeding up over this next week (hopefully) and I'll be able to return to my intended frequency.

The repugnant stench of garbage rouses me from my sleep. Apparently, I've been abandoned in a dumpster. Rubbing my head, I notice a short, fat, cardboard tube on top of my stomach. I grab it and slowly crawl out of the dumpster. Brushing off the sticky trash that was on my clothes, I start to analyze my surroundings. The Immortal Bastion stands in the distance. It seems I'm still in the Noxian Capital. Normally, I would expect there to be people walking through the streets and the hustle and bustle of city life, but there is none of that here. The surrounding buildings have been damaged. Purple ooze can be seen flowing in some areas. It looks like the Void's Army has managed to destroy the productivity even in the capital. The people who are walking around are few, but these crowds are nothing compared to normal life. I notice a pamphlet being distributed and attached to several buildings. There's one of them on the ground in the alleyway. Let's read it:

_By Decree of the High Command,_

_All Noxian citizens must look out for a Summoner with Dark Skin, Glasses, and a Messy Bed Head. He is about 5'5" and is probably injured. This man is wanted by the Grand General. There will be significant rewards if you manage to capture him, in addition to the initial cash reward of 40,000 Darkwills._

Just in case you aren't familiar with Noxian currency, that's enough money to buy yourself a house. In this economy, too? Ridiculous! There is also a picture of myself on it. I recognize it as the last photo I took for my summoner ID. If only it was my first photo. Then they wouldn't be able to see anything except for the reflection of my glasses! I would be Elusive indeed. But the issue still stands. How am I going to sneak out of here? The city isn't packed enough for me to blend in with the crowds. I can see some patrols asking people if they had seen me. How did LeBlanc put me here without anyone noticing me? Fuck! A couple of guards come around the corner. I try to avoid eye contact with them, but they keep walking into the alleyway. One of them bumps into me. I quickly move out of the way. I don't speak. Can't risk them recognizing me by my voice. One of them looks extremely confused, and waves his hand in front of him.

"What the- I coulda sworn I just bumped into something."

"Maybe it's the Void fucking with you. That shit is everywhere right now."

"Yeah maybe you're right."

What? But they literally walked into me. It's like I'm invisi-

...

**Oh.**

I direct my focus inwardly. I notice a thin layer of mana around myself. It's subtle, but it's still very dense. LeBlanc said she wouldn't help me much, but this is a godsend. I walk into the middle of the street. I don't get a nod or any sort of acknowledgement from anyone that I pass. Yep. Definitely invisible. Upon more inspection of the spell that has been cast on me, I see that it won't last forever. I would try to maintain it, but I can't cast Illusions in the first place. My time as a mage was more focused on Evocations and Enchantments so that I could become a Summoner. I don't have much time left. This won't last another few minutes. I trace my steps back to the alleyway. I can't have this shutting off while I'm walking out there. I would draw way too much attention to myself. Seems like the soldiers are still there.

"It doesn't seem like there's any Void energy here. How would it mess with me if it doesn't look like it's here in the first place?"

"That's a pretty good point, actually."

"Maybe it's one of those Black Rose Agents. The constantly use invisibility to get around."

"Fuck, then we've been tricked. Let's let our commander know that there's an Agent in this area. Maybe, if we capture him, we'll be able to get information about their secret base."

Damnit, I can't let them get that intel. I tap them both on the backs as they turn around while quickening a spell in both of my hands.

"Hey now, we can't have that can we?"

"Who is-"

I grab them both by the mouth and release my Ignites. I continue to burn my mana into them as I suppress their screams. One of them faints from the pain. I let him go. The other one isn't so lucky. The spell managed to burn his lips together. Damn, I wish he fainted earlier. Now I feel really bad for him. I can't go back now, though. The would have done much worse if they had captured me. I grab him by the neck with my free hand and unload a lightning bolt through my fingers. He faints as the charge is sent directly into his spine. My invisibility is gone, but at least I kept them from getting valuable information about my whereabouts. Dragging them into the alleyway, I set them down behind the dumbster and sit down beside their collapsed bodies. I've gotta think hard now. How am I going to get out of here now? I'm not invisible anymore. I didn't even have enough time to leave the city. I assume it was long enough to keep me invisible while I was transferred here. I'll need to thank LeBlanc if I ever see her again. I hope these debts I'm piling up don't come back to bite me in the ass later on.

I look at the men knocked out beside me. They aren't too much larger than me. If it had been a fair fight, I bet I would be on equal footing with either of them on their own. Maybe... I can use one of their uniforms as a disguise! I quickly strip one of them. He's wearing a shirt and boxers under his uniform. It reeks of sweat, but it's better than my clothes which are soaked in garbage. Donning my soldier's outfit, I button up and replace the belt on me. While it's a little baggy, it's still a good fit compared to the embarrassingly large uniform I was wearing. I deposit that old one under the dumpster. You could easily find it if I put it inside, but maybe they'll overlook it if it's somewhere I wouldn't put it.

Sliding the cardboard tube into my pocket and putting on the helmet, I walk out onto the street. I see a bundle of fliers on the ground. It seems like the soldiers dropped it. It'll look weird if I leave it there so I pick it up. For fun's sake, I decide to work a bit on my bluffing. I approach a couple of civilians, the pamphlets in hand.

"Hey, you two."

"What is it?" one of them answers.

"Have you seen this guy? Moppy Hair, Glasses. He looks like the type of guy who pees while sitting down."

They examine it closely. "Wow, thats a big reward! I'd love to let you know, but I'd rather take that money for myself."

The other one sneers. "I'd love to be able to shop in the Ivory District for once."

I chuckle. "Good luck, now."

Good, no raised eyebrows. They don't know my voice, so I think I can move with impunity. Moving on, I hear a few whispers from them as I walk away.

"Damn, that soldier stunk to high hell."

"I know that they sweat a lot in that armor, but he was ridiculous."

"Someone should wash him off with a fucking hose."

"No kidding."

Fuck. This will definitely draw attention to me. I'll need to take a bath asap before someone gets on my ass. I slowly advance through the city, being careful not to interact with anyone or get closer to anyone than I have to.

* * *

Meanwhile, Swain sits alone in the meeting room of the High Command. The others have gone home ahead of him. He shuffles around some papers, and eventually sighs.

"I know you're there, LeBlanc."

The Assassin slowly steps out of the shadows.

"So, is this the result you intended?"

"All according to plan." The Grand General chuckles.

"The public will be too engrossed in the manhunt for that Summoner to pay attention to what you do behind the scenes. Find out how and why the Void champions crushed the League so easily. Only then will we be able to associate openly again. There are many in the High Command who still blame the Black Rose for this whole catastrophe. Putting up this act is easy, but it is extremely annoying."

"After all the effort put into putting the Black Rose and the Noxian High Command under one head..."

"Don't speak about that openly, LeBlanc. Be smart."

She laughs heartily. "There is no one here. It's okay for me to relax a little. Besides, you would have noticed if we had an ease dropper, wouldn't you?"

"True enough. Where did you put the Summoner?"

"In the middle of the city. I wonder how long he'll be undetected."

"What of the information you gave to him?"

"I told him about the Grey Order. It seems he did not make the connection."

"Well, all in due time..."

"What is your opinion of him?"

"He seems to be a total idiot."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that. You know what they say about great pride before a fall."

"My plans are unstoppable. If he becomes my enemy, I'll crush him like every other insect. I wonder what the Exile sees in him, though."

"What did _you _see in him? In his mind, that is."

"My spell didn't work. The Void energy latent in him was blocking me out of his mind. The only think I saw were his constant thoughts about Riven... and several puns about Birds."

"Speaking of whom, it's very fortunate that we gained a scapegoat and recovered a weapon in one action."

Swain nods. "With the Crimson Elite together again, Noxus will be unstoppable. You are dismissed, LeBlanc. Continue with whatever you were doing."

"As you command, Grand Rose."

"It's Grand General now."

"Of course."

* * *

I manage to get to the edge of the city. Out at the gates, there are several guards posted around there. They seem to be interviewing people at length. Guards who approach are apparently being asked to take off their helmets. Dammit. Why can't anything be easy. I stand in place and start to think... Maybe... if I could run fast enough... no, I'd definitely be caught.

"Hey you, soldier! What are you doing so far away from your position!"

A woman runs up to me, she's a bit shorter than I am, but by the look of her clothes, she seems to be a higher rank than me. Well, higher rank than the guy who I stole this outfit from. I freeze in place. I can't just run because that would give me away! Shit, shit shit! She sticks up her nose,

"Damn you fucking stink! What were you doing!?"

"Uh... I was dumpster diving..."

"For what!?"

"I was searching for this guy." I point at the pamphlet.

"I thought I saw someone inside one of the dumpsters and thought it was him."

"So... did you find him?"

I stand up straight and salute. "No, mam!"

She kicks me in the groin. "You shithead! I could have you killed!"

"S-sorry mam- UGH!" I seem to have acquired a knack for getting beat up recently, huh? I think I should go register a title for myself and make a toy like, _The Punching Bag of Noxus! Forever Strong! _If only I wasn't on the run, I would market the shit out of a product with that name.

"Come with me to the barracks. You need to take a fucking shower."

Oh, damn. A shower would be nice but then... everyone would see my face. They would also see how small my dick is. Fuck, I'm never showing them that tiny thing! And I don't want to get caught running naked through the streets in the middle of the capital. That's a total no-no. I slowly follow the Commander back to the army barracks. Fortunately, the closest one is located near the border, but I'm still in a bad spot. I scan the area around me, desperately looking for a chance to escape. While the military presence here is still significant, this is nothing compared to what the Noxian army was the last time I saw it. Several people on patrol look injured. A few are limping. Sneaking a peak into the infirmary, several soldiers are recovering from deep, purple, glowing wounds. It seems as if the Void has taken more of a toll on everyone than I had initially thought. Finally, we get to the washrooms. The woman taps her foot. Pushing me inside.

"Well!? Get going! Fucking stinky-ass scum."

So rude. This shit is why I didn't join the army. I slowly walk into the changing room. The brass-colored lockers line the walls and form straight lines throughout. There are no people here, of course. Soldiers are supposed to be well groomed early in the morning - another reason why I joined the mage intelligentsia instead of enlisting. I find a large dumpster full of discarded clothes. There apparently were several recruits recently. Lots of civilian clothes are mixed in with... Summoner Robes. Hmm... perhaps I can use this. I dig out a robe and find a fresh change of clothes before I check the showers. No one here. Good, I'll be quick. The soap is rough and irritates my skin but it's better than smelling like a garbage can. I grab a towel and quickly dry myself off and change into the new uniform, discarding the old one in the bin. Now, I wait...

**Several Minutes Pass.**

"Hey, you! You've taken way too long. Come out or I'll march in there and kick your ass!"

I don't answer. I silently charge a spell in my left palm. I tightly clench the Summoner's robe in my right hand. This is my only chance to do this, otherwise I'm fucked.

"Alright! You asked for it! I'm going to break out my 'friend', Requis! Let's see how you like anal, so later you can have an excuse for walking around like you have a stick in your ass!"

She comes around the corner and I throw the Summoner's robe on her. I cast a Stun spell on her and lean in to whisper a quick "Sorry about this" before immediately following up with a Fireball. The cloak explodes into flames and she starts to scream. I turn her around and shoot a quickened Lightning Bolt at her feet to move her in the other direction.

"Hey! Come back here, fugitive!" I yell, as loud as I can. Almost immediately people move from their posts at the walls of the city to chase and eventually pile onto the Commander. I use this opportunity to escape out of the South wall of the Capital City while the military is still occupied with the commotion.


End file.
